Stoke City 0-1 Preston North End: Ched Evans hits stoppage-time winner for Lilywhites
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The winning goal from Ched Evans (second right) was his sixth in his last seven appearances
Ched Evans' stoppage-time winner gave Preston victory against Stoke in a tame Championship match at the Bet365 Stadium.
With the game looking destined for a goalless draw, Evans headed Alan Browne's corner in off the post to earn the Lilywhites a seventh away win of the season.
Stoke's Jacob Brown touched Tyrese Campbell's effort into the net but was flagged offside near the end of an uneventful first half.
The Lilywhites had gone close with their first effort on target late on, but Potters goalkeeper Jack Bonham tipped over Ben Woodburn's dipping volley at full-stretch.
After ending a run of three straight defeats, Preston move within two points of a play-off place in 10th, while Stoke drop to 18th, four points above the bottom three after a fifth defeat in seven home games.
After a limp display in their midweek defeat at West Brom, Preston began with intent, forcing a succession of corners and free-kicks, with Alvaro Fernández having a goalbound effort blocked.
The Potters sparked into life in the dying embers of a first half lacking quality and decent openings.
Lilywhites goalkeeper Freddie Woodman tipped away Campbell's stoppage-time header before sticking out a foot to somehow keep out Brown's deflected effort.
The late flourish proved a false dawn as the game reverted to a disjointed second half with both sides struggling to keep possession.
The hosts failed to have a single effort on target after the break, but looked to have earned a point after Bonham's 85th-minute save before Evans pounced in the third minute of stoppage-time.
Stoke City manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke:
"It wasn't a game we deserved to lose, but we have a habit of taking games we don't deserve to lose and turning them into a loss.
"I thought we had three really good chances in the game, which we don't take, and you always leave yourselves open to a sucker-punch at the end and that's exactly how it panned out.
"I understand the disappointment and frustration [of fans], but this isn't an issue that's been here for a short period of time, it has been here a lot longer.
"We're doing everything we can to try and remedy it, and hopefully if we can find ourselves on the right side of some of the key moments in games then it will change things in our favour."
Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"The performance was all about character today. We've had a tough two weeks, let's not kid ourselves, it's what the Championship brings up.
"We've had a few injuries and a bit of bad luck because we've still been playing OK, but sometimes you need that little bit of resilience from the group.
"I said to them before the game, 'Tough times don't last, but tough people do,' and that's what we've got in abundance.
"I thought there was loads of character, some good football, but the football's irrelevant - it's just the three points, that's the main thing."