Nottingham Forest 1-2 Preston North End: Tom Bayliss and Liam Lindsay seal Lilywhites comeback win
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The match turned on Tom Bayliss' controversial equaliser which prompted Forest protests
Preston fought back to beat Nottingham Forest and end the season with a fourth straight win.
Forest led when James Garner took a touch before smashing a superb 25-yard strike into the top-right corner of the net.
Tom Bayliss equalised in controversial fashion after the break with his first senior goal, appearing to help Scott Sinclair's cross into the net with his left arm.
And the Lilywhites soon found a winner when Ched Evans nodded a cross back into the box where Liam Lindsay headed in off the underside of the bar.
Only Derby have scored fewer Championship goals than Forest's tally of 37 this season, and Chris Hughton's side had won just two of their previous 13 matches, but they created plenty of chances in a free-flowing first half.
After Garner's stunner ended Preston's impressive run of four clean sheets, Lewis Grabban was twice denied by on-loan goalkeeper Daniel Iversen, while Anthony Knockaert fired an effort just past the post, and Joe Worrall had a goal chalked off.
After Preston levelled with their first attempt of the match - with a goal which should not have stood - Forest continued to come forward and Iversen once more saved from Grabban.
But Lindsay then completed the turnaround and Evans almost added a third when his strike was tipped round the post by Brice Samba.
While Forest ended the season 17th and winless in six, Preston climbed to 13th under Frankie McAvoy who has overseen five wins and just one defeat in eight matches since taking caretaker charge following Alex Neil's departure.
Forest boss Chris Hughton:
"I have seen it and I felt the first goal was handball. The ball comes off the top end of his arm and it was definitely handball.
"The second one the linesman had his flag up and [Alan] Browne was in an offside position and he moved back into an onside position, without touching the ball. But what he did do is impede Cyrus Christie.
"We were really good in the first half and we had chances - good chances - but we have come away from the game without anything.
"It is a reflection of what has happened to us this season. We have to be better in the final third next season, otherwise we will find ourselves with the same problems."
Preston interim manager Frankie McAvoy:
"The flag was up for offside and we had been shouting to Alan [Browne] not to go. We could see that there was somebody in a better position outside him.
"Thankfully it went our way, we played to the whistle and Liam came up with a good goal for us.
"We were a wee bit lethargic in the first half. We had a good opportunity through Ched [Evans] to score, but other than that we did not play well enough.
"We got them in and had a chat with them and they managed to do the things we asked of them in the second half, which was a lot better for us."