TWO disasterous refereeing decisions and a sloppy second half performance from Preston North End resulted in the Lilywhites feeling fortunate to have got anything out of the game.

Giving a whole new meaning to the term Game of Two Halves Preston took the lead early on and squandered it in the first half before letting Wednesday go ahead in the second while seeming lost as how to pull a point back.

Had it not been for Richard Cresswells late equaliser a stroke-in of Eric Skoras cross on 84 minutes the booes which echoes around the ground on the final whistle would have been much, much louder.

Preston had started the game in the ascendancy, and should have been ahead after just two minutes, which a Graham Alexander corner was placed perfectly for Ricardo Fuller, who sent a diving header inches wide.

Cresswell sent in a cracking cross from the left minutes later, but no-one was in the centre to slot the ball home past Kevin Pressman.

The veteran keeper did well to tip a rasping shot from Fuller over the bar on nine minutes but could do nothing about the Jamaicans effort on 12 minutes.

An Edwards throw-in sent Fuller on a forceful run into the box, his shot ricochayed off two defenders before hitting the underside of the cross bar and into the net.

From then on, it was down-hill all the way for Preston as they squabndered chances.

Eddie Lewis, playing his second home game for North End, should have done much better with a 15th minute freekick just outside the Wednesday box. Instead of setting up one of the strikers for a second goal, his tame shot went straight into the Owls wall.

Lewis went on to skew a shot wide and Fuller propelled the ball over the net befoe Wednesday began to enter the game.

Shefki Kuqi forced Tepi Moilanen to save a 20-yard shot on 24 minutes before he equaliser a minute later, firing home a Geral Sibon cross.

North End were then lucky not to go into the break a man down after Paul McKenna childishly retaliated to a clattering challenge from Leon Knight. McKenna was yellow-carded on another day he surely would have been off and Knight almost took the Owls into the lead with a shot from Sibons cross set up by the free kick.

Wednesday seemed most likely to score in the second half as Trond Soltvedt replaced Alan Quinn. Within minutes of the restart, Tepi was forced to save a six-yard shot from Knight before Quinn hit the woodwork from 20 yards.

Lewis finally showed some spark, charging down the left before cutting in square only to squander his chance with a clumsy ball which, presumably, was meant for Cresswell.

He then went on to waste a cross from Fuller.

Then, to make matters worse, the referee began to weave his magic. Cresswell sent the ball into the back of net, clearly not offside, but the linesman suggests otherwise and the goal is ruled out. The fact that Leigh Bromby was all over Cresswell before he unleashed his shot in the area obviously meant nothing.

The referee, incidentially, was blind to Wednesdays players repeatedly going down injured only to miraculously better when the game was halted or they had won the free kick. Magic sponge? I dont think so.

So as it was, Wednesday went into the lead on 77 minutes when McLaren unleashed a right footed shot from the right hand side of the box.

Only an off-the-line clearance from Alexander kept Preston in the game when he blocked a Kuqi shot.

Erik Skora was then grounded just inside the one as three Wednesday players barged around him? Penalty? On another day, probably. But the referee just singled play on.

Preston finally found the equaliser on 85 minutes when Skora managed to get the ball into the area.

Perhaps Preston should have had a third when Healy and Fuller embarked on a neat move upfield, but the Jamaican watched by Kevin Keegan in the stands shoots just wide.

Craig Brown described the result as a little fortunate. He wants his team to prove they can win at home starting against Watford on Tuesday. The fans will want that too before the gate already down to 13,600 from 15,000 drops any further.

PRESTON NORTH END 2 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2