Goals from David Nugent and Richard Creswell put Preston in pole position for the play-off semi-final second leg at Derby.

Billy Davies' North End totally dominated the opening period and, after Cresswell had missed a couple of chances, Nugent put the hosts ahead in the closing stages of the first half.

Following an abject performance in the opening period, the Rams were much better after the break but the better chances still fell to North End and they came up with a fortunate second goal in the final minute.

Mo Konjic, attempting to head clear a cross, instead headed the ball down into the turf and it bounced off Creswell's boot and past Derby keeper Lee Camp.

The visitors had been on the backfoot from the very start.

Derby suffered an early setback with defender Michael Johnson stretchered off and replaced by Pablo Mills after just five minutes following an innocuous-looking challenge from North End striker Creswell.

That change may have contributed to some confusion soon after when Camp had to scramble the ball out for a throw to deal with Konjic's poorly-directed defensive header.

Despite having an appendix operation just three weeks ago, Eddie Lewis was showing no signs of discomfort and, after he was picked out by Paul McKenna, got to the byline and chipped in a trademark cross only for Cresswell's header to cause Camp few problems.

Lewis continued to provide most of the threat and just over-hit his cross for Nugent, with Camp stranded, after the American had skipped past Jeff Kenna and Mills on a 50-yard run.

As North End continued their early dominance, Cresswell passed up another chance after Lewis cut in from the left past Huddlestone and fed the striker, only for the former Sheffield Wednesday man's curling shot to fly just past the far post.

Konjic was next to receive a lengthy period of treatment as the Rams continued to struggle - lapses of concentration in the North End defence proving to be the only danger to the home side's ascendancy.

Left back Matt Hill caused problems in the Rams box with a break into the area and the ball was only cleared to McKenna, whose powerful shot was well held by Camp.

But North End did not have to wait too long to take the lead. In the 38th minute, Nugent chased down a Cresswell flick-on into space, and the young striker broke past two defenders and into the area, before clipping the ball over the onrushing Camp to score his ninth North End goal since a £100,000 move from Bury in January.

Clearly frustrated with the way the opening period went, Rams boss George Burley replaced the anonymous Tommy Smith with Adam Bolder at the break, with Marco Reich moving up-front alongside Paul Peschisolido, who had been starved of service in the first-half.

North End did not start the second period with the same intensity and began to sit deeper, although a Lewis free-kick from wide on the right was agonisingly too deep for Davis to make contact at the far post.

The Rams were certainly having more of the game and Morten Bisgaard had their first shot of note, turning and firing wide from the edge of the area, 11 minutes after the break.

Konjic then passed up a marvellous chance to equalise. When Bisgaard's free-kick found him at the far post, but the big Bosnian headed wide, while Richard Jackson later saw a long-range shot deflected straight to North End goalkeeper Carlo Nash.

The hosts seemed content with their one-goal advantage and were far less ambitious, although a Cresswell cross from the right was allowed to run across the Rams six-yard line before being cleared to safety.

Veteran Ian Taylor felt he deserved a penalty following a challenge from former Derby man Brian O'Neil but the only result was a shoving match between the pair and a goal-kick to Preston.

Nugent had the opportunity to double his tally for the afternoon after Davis' header fell to him in the box, but the forward's volley sliced off his boot and high and wide of Camp's goal.

As Derby began to commit more men forward, North End suddenly broke away, with Cresswell knocking the ball over the Rams defence for Lewis to chase. Had he been at full fitness, the former Fulham man's pace would normally have taken him well clear of Mills, but he was pushed wide and the chance was lost.

With Cresswell appealing for a penalty, Chris Sedgwick's header back in the box fell to Nugent, but again his shot was mis-timed.

However Creswell had the final word, doubling Preston's advantage and taking North End a massive step closer to the play-off final.

Teams:

Preston: Nash, Mawene, Davis, Lucketti, Hill, Sedgwick, McKenna, O'Neil (Etuhu 80), Lewis (Broomes 89), Cresswell, Nugent (Agyemang 86).

Subs Not Used: Ward, Mears.

Booked: Davis, McKenna.

Goals: Nugent 38, Cresswell 90.

Derby: Camp, Kenna, Konjic, Johnson (Mills 6), Jackson, Reich, Bisgaard, Taylor, Huddlestone, Smith (Bolder 45), Peschisolido.

Subs Not Used: Miller, Junior, Tudgay.

Booked: Konjic.

Att: 20,315

Ref: A Marriner (W Midlands).