Sean St Ledger was the hero for Preston as they sneaked into the Coca-Cola Championship play-off places with a 2-1 victory at home to QPR.

The defender was on hand to nod home the winner in the 74th minute after Jon Parkin’s tremendous long throw had been flicked on by substitute Chris Brown.

Preston’s win, coupled with Cardiff’s 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday, saw the Lilywhites move above their Welsh rivals on goals scored and claim sixth position in the table behind fellow Lancashire side Burnley, who thrashed Bristol City 4-0.

Parkin had earlier put the hosts ahead seven minutes before the interval when he seized on a weak backpass from Kaspars Gorkss before rounding Radek Cerny and slotting home from a tight angle.

However, former Lilywhites striker Patrick Agyemang struck in the 57th minute to pull Rangers level, latching onto a neat through ball from strike partner Rowan Vine before sliding the ball home.

Preston manager Alan Irvine made two enforced changes from the side which won 2-1 at Birmingham last weekend, with Darren Carter and Simon Whaley coming in for suspended duo Lee Williamson and Ross Wallace.

Vine and Hogan Ephraim were among those to return to the QPR line-up as caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth, who had three separate spells at Deepdale as a player, made four changes.

The hosts were the first to threaten in the seventh minute. Paul McKenna’s free-kick from the left was met by the unmarked Billy Jones at the far post, but his header deflected wide for a corner.

Rangers responded well and Mikele Leigertwood saw a powerful 25-yard strike fly narrowly wide before good work from Wayne Routledge presented Vine with an opportunity, only for the striker to fire tamely at Andy Lonergan from 12 yards.

Chris Sedgwick then had the ball in the net for Preston, but the flag had already gone up for offside.

St Ledger wasted a glorious chance for the Lilywhites in the 20th minute, mis-kicking from eight yards after Neil Mellor’s low cross had found him unmarked.

The home side went close again on the half hour as Whaley’s driven 20-yard shot looped inches over the crossbar via two deflections.

Parkin put Preston in front with his 11th goal of the season and Whaley should have added a second on the stroke of half-time when he shot straight at Cerny from six yards.

QPR almost pulled level three minutes after the interval as Patrick Agyemang’s drilled shot deflected narrowly wide of Lonergan’s near post.

Ephraim then curled a shot wide from 15 yards for the visitors before Preston forward Mellor thumped two successive shots over the bar from just outside the penalty area.

Rangers then pulled level in the 57th minute as Agyemang latched onto a neat through ball from Vine before sliding the ball beyond Lonergan with the aid of a slight deflection.

Mellor had a chance to put Preston back ahead within a minute, but he drilled his shot wide from an acute angle after Cerny had sliced a clearance into his path.

The Rangers goalkeeper made a superb save soon after to keep out a glancing header from St Ledger as the hosts piled on the pressure.

And McKenna almost brought the house down in the 63rd minute with a tremendous 25-yard volley that flashed marginally wide of Cerny’s left-hand post.

Preston were finally rewarded for their pressure with 16 minutes remaining, former Stoke striker Parkin the creator with a huge throw comparative to that of his former team-mate Rory Delap.

Parkin and Brown spurned chances to add a third for Preston in the closing stages, but it mattered not as the Lilywhites held on for a priceless three points.