Preston North End 1 Birmingham City 0
Dec 13 2008
period, with Radhi Jaidi heading straight at Lonergan following good work down the right from Quincy.
At the other end Callum Davidson went close for Preston with a fierce strike from distance that Taylor parried behind.
Blues leading scorer Phillips then almost put the visitors ahead with a typical poached effort from the impressive Quincy's cross, his right-footed effort being dealt with by Lonergan.
And from the resulting Preston attack, Paul McKenna forced Taylor into a diving save as he curled in a left-footed strike from 20 yards.
Wallace again forced a good stop from Taylor in the closing minutes of the half, the winger floating in from the right-hand side and unleashing a fizzing left-footed strike that the Birmingham keeper did well to turn behind.
In the dying seconds of the half, Quincy wasted an inviting free-kick when he fired into the wall after he himself was fouled.
Phillips should have broken the deadlock just after the hour mark but his header from point blank range was incredibly saved by Lonergan.
The previously quiet David Murphy had picked out the 35-year-old with an exquisite chip from the left but Phillips failed to evade the Preston keeper from six yards.
Birmingham, who were looking to keep pace with promotion rivals Reading and Wolves after their respective wins earlier this afternoon, pressed forward in search of a winner with Nigel Quashie firing in a shot from outside the area.
Substitute Parkin - who netted the winner against Doncaster earlier this week for North End - then wasted the hosts' best chance when he allowed Taylor to gather the ball after being put clean through on goal.
However, the striker atoned for the miss when he found the net from inside the area in stoppage time to hand Preston the three points.
PRESTON: Lonergan, Nolan, Mawene, St. Ledger, Davidson, Sedgwick, McKenna, Chaplow (Nicholson 80), Wallace,
Chris Brown (Parkin 78), Elliott (Hawley 83). Subs Not Used: Neal, Carter.
Goals: Parkin 90.
BIRMINGHAM: Maik Taylor, Hunt, Ridgewell, Jaidi, Queudrue (Parnaby 63), Owusu-Abeyie (Agustien 90), Quashie, Carsley, Murphy, Phillips, Bent (Jerome 59). Subs Not Used: Doyle, Nafti.
Booked: Ridgewell, Queudrue, Quashie.
Att: 10,943
Ref: Clive Oliver (Northumberland).
