Desperate times call for desperate measures. Alex Neil who has rigidly stuck to his 4-3-3 formation drastically changed away at Sheffield Wednesday to three at the back and it paid off.
Jordan Storey seemed to be an outcast this season after impressing last was recalled to play alongside Bauer and Davies at the back whilst Rafferty and Hughes played in the wing back roles.
The first half was as entertaining and attacking as Preston had been since the restart of the season. Several chances went begging. Bauer, Browne, Maguire and Barkhuizen all missed great opportunities and the lack of a top quality striker in the squad looked like being an issue again.
Wednesday did have their own chances. A header from a corner rebounded off the bar. Storey also made a last ditch block to stop an effort on goal.
The home side then took the lead in the second half. It was almost like the parting of the red sea as Preston's defence seemed to collapse allowing Murphy to slot past Rudd.
Neil then made changes as the game was slipping away from Preston. Within seconds the game changed. Sinclair has looked the most prolific of the Preston players in recent times and within a couple of minutes of arriving on the pitch he latched onto Stockley's header, who had also just come on, to notch an equaliser.
Moments later Stockley fired home from the edge of the box to put Preston in the lead and Potts rounded off the game in injury time with another effort from outside the box.
The win keeps Preston in touching distance of the play offs with games running out. The situation hasn't changed and Preston will need to win all their remaining games to have a chance of making the top six.
The question now is whether Neil now sticks to his new formation which allowed Preston to be more free in attack. Two up front definitely worked especially when Sinclair and Stockley entered the pitch.
Preston now face Forest who sit in the top six and are likely to make the end of season lottery barring a miracle collapse. North End need to throw the kitchen sink again but this time it will be a lot tough game than the out of sorts Sheffield Wednesday.