Barnsley's battle to avoid relegation to Division Two was given a massive lift as they beat promotion hopefuls Preston at Oakwell.

Dean Gorre scored on his first start under Steve Parkin and Bruce Dyer added a second to give the South Yorkshire side a genuine chance of beating the drop.

However they were made to sweat after Preston, who now face an uphill battle to repeat their play-off heroics of last season, pulled a goal back through on-loan striker Clyde Wijnhard.

Neither side was able to take control in a cagey start to the game, and the only chance of note early on fell to Wijnhard 20 yards out, but his mishit shot went wide.

Barnsley's anxiety cost Dave Mulligan a yellow card in the 10th minute when he was penalised for a bad foul on Richard Cresswell.

Richard Naylor almost settled South Yorkshire nerves two minutes later when he volleyed Chris Lumsdon's cross goalwards, only to see his effort blocked by Chris Lucketti.

Tepi Moilanen had thus far had little to do, but was finally forced to make a save in the 16th minute to keep out Gorre's shot from 20 yards out.

The hosts continued to venture forward and Naylor wasted a good chance to open the scoring when he headed a Gorre free-kick wide midway through the first half.

But Barnsley made the breakthrough they so desperately needed when Gorre headed home Chris Barker's cross from the left wing after 27 minutes.

Gary Jones tried to double the hosts' lead with a shot from distance five minutes later, but Moilanen proved equal to the task.

Barnsley rarely threatened to add to their lead, but equally Preston's best effort did not arrive until the 58th minute when Michael Jackson headed Graham Alexander's corner over the crossbar from just six yards out.

And the visitors were made to pay just two minutes later when Mulligan's cross somehow found its way through to Dyer, who could not help but score from close range.

Kevin Betsy nearly added a third goal but Preston fought their way back into the game in the 69th minute when Gareth Ainsworth's right-wing cross picked out Wijnhard, who made no mistake with the header.

Barnsley then sought to re-establish their two-goal lead and Jones fired in a drive from the edge of the penalty area in the 78th minute only to see Moilanen make the save.

However their slender advantage proved to be enough to take the Tykes out of the relegation zone.

Teams:

Barnsley: Marriott, Mulligan, Barker, Morgan, Flynn, Gorre (Barnard 71), Jones, Lumsdon, Betsy, Dyer, Naylor (Sheron 85).

Subs Not Used: Miller, Neil, Chettle.

Booked: Mulligan.

Goals: Gorre 27, Dyer 60.

Preston: Moilanen, Alexander, Eaton, Lucketti (Jackson 55), Gregan, Rankine (Healy 80), Cartwright (Ainsworth 59), McKenna, Keane, Wijnhard, Cresswell.

Subs Not Used: Etuhu, O'Hanlon.

Goals: Wijnhard 69.

Att: 14,188

Ref: G Cain (Bootle).