A goal in each half from Chris Brown and Neil Mellor ended Preston's long wait for an away victory in the Championship to keep their faint play-off hopes alive.

The strike duo justified their recalls to the starting line-up against Doncaster, capping industrious performances with a goal apiece as Alan Irvine's side registered their first success on the road since winning at leaders Wolves in January.

Brown, who had a prolific loan spell with Rovers in the 2003/04 season, headed home Ross Wallace's pin-point cross to put the Lilywhites in front after 25 minutes.

And former Liverpool frontman Mellor secured the points with a clinical left-foot finish with 19 minutes remaining.

Preston's dire away form - they had previously won only three times away from Deepdale - looks set to cost them a place in the top six come the end of the season but three points at the Keepmoat Stadium ensured they are still in with a shout of gatecrashing the play-offs.

Doncaster, on the other hand, are still not guaranteed Championship football next season but it would take an unlikely set of results to see them relegated.

Neither side managed to stamp their authority on the game in a dour opening 20 minutes.

But Rovers started to ask questions of the Preston defence and were unfortunate not to be in front 24 minutes in when Dean Shiels' glancing header looped towards the far post and came back off the upright with Andy Lonergan beaten.

Preston finally got into their stride and they took the lead a minute later with their first clear-cut opportunity.

Scottish winger Wallace found space on the left and whipped in an inviting cross for Brown to plant an unstoppable header beyond veteran goalkeeper Neil Sullivan from six yards out.

Buoyed by the goal, Preston pushed forward and almost doubled their lead when full-back Billy Jones rose highest to head a Chris Sedgwick centre just over the crossbar.

A terrible mix-up between Sullivan and Jos Van Nieuwstadt looked to have gifted Preston a second goal nine minutes into the second half.

Former Scotland keeper Sullivan and his central defender failed to deal with a routine ball forward and the ball broke loose to Mellor, who was left with a simple tap in but the referee's assistant adjudged the burly striker to have pushed Van Nieuwstadt in the back.

Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll introduced Paul Heffernan after 63 minutes in a bid to add a cutting edge to his toothless attack.

But the home side were left with a mountain to climb when Mellor gave Preston breathing space 19 minutes from time.

Substitute Jon Parkin's tame left-foot shot fortuitously fell for the unmarked Mellor, who steadied himself before lashing a venomous left-foot strike into the far corner of the net.

Teams

Doncaster Sullivan, Chambers, Van Nieuwstadt, Mills, Roberts,Wilson (LuaLua 74), Martin Woods (Spicer 74), Wellens, Shiels,Hayter, Guy (Heffernan 64).

Subs Not Used: Fairhurst, Hird.

Booked: Hayter, Wellens.

Preston Lonergan, Jones, St. Ledger, Mawene, Wallace,Sedgwick (Carter 89), Williamson, McKenna, Nolan,Mellor (Elliott 75), Brown (Parkin 70).

Subs Not Used: Neal, Chilvers.

Booked: Mellor, Wallace.

Goals: Brown 26, Mellor 72.

Att: 11,648

Ref: Iain Williamson (Berkshire).