DELIGHT FOR ALAN IRVINE

ALAN Irvine saw his Sheffield Wednesday side produce a thrilling fight-back on his return to Deepdale to boost hopes of avoiding relegation.

Irvine, who was dismissed by Preston last Christmas, must have feared the worst when his former club stormed into a deserved two-goal lead.

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Neil Mellor broke the deadlock with a neat finish in the 29th minute after Darren Purse had done well to somehow block Billy Jones’s initial goal-bound strike.

And after Paul Coutts doubled the hosts’ lead nine minutes after the break there appeared no way back for the visitors.But when home keeper Andy Lonergan allowed a speculative Tommy Miller shot past him and into the net in the 60th minute it was just the tonic the Owls needed.

Barely three minutes later they were level when Marcus Tudgay broke clear and chipped the helpless Lonergan with ease to equalise.

Preston manager Darren Ferguson looked stunned and little wonder as he was left to ponder if these two points dropped would cost him dear come the season’s end.