Play-off chasing Preston gave Sir Tom Finney the perfect 83rd birthday present with a scintillating display against hapless Brighton.

Graham Alexander's penalty and a Richard Cresswell header put the hosts two up at the break before David Nugent added a third early in the second half.

It was just reward for a rampant display against a Brighton side whose confidence looked bereft after five straight defeats - with relegation now a distinct possibility.

Club President and Preston legend Finney was the guest of honour at Deepdale, with a half-time presentation to mark the occasion, although there will be an even bigger party if North End finally end their 44-year exile from top-flight football - the club were relegated the season after Finney retired in 1960.

Brighton had been waiting even longer since their one and only win at North End in 1908.

And Despite beating Preston at the start of the season in a match that cost Craig Brown his job, it was a result they never looked like repeating here.

The hosts were unchanged from the side that let a 1-0 lead slip in the last minute of Saturday's game with Gillingham, while Brighton had Richard Carpenter back from suspension and drafted in Nathan Jones.

Making way were Mark McCammon and Leon Knight, whose last chance this was to feature before a two-game ban for being booked 10 times this season.

Preston began patiently, working the ball from left to right, with Brighton content to sit back and clear any danger - a tactic that looked like paying off early on.

But poor organisation almost let them down 20 minutes in when a woeful offside trap was easily breached by a 60-yard ball from Alexander which found Nugent alone in the six yard box.

Unaware of the time and space he had, the Coca-Cola Championship's player of the month for March headed tamely into the arms of Alan Blayney.

Cresswell also mis-timed a header before a neat move saw Nugent feed Paul McKenna 18 yards out, but he fired narrowly wide.

It mattered not, however, as Cresswell atoned for his earlier miss on the half hour by winning a penalty.

There seemed little danger when the ball came to the lanky forward on the edge of the box, but he bundled his way one-on-one with Blayney before being hauled down by Gary Hart, who was sent off for the foul. Alexander duly sent the on-loan Southampton keeper the wrong way.

Preston were now beginning to exploit the numerous gaps Brighton were leaving and Chris Sedgwick cut inside onto his left foot to fire a shot Blayney did well to hold.

But he was helpless to prevent Cresswell taking advantage of more weak marking when he nodded home Eddie Lewis' left-wing cross on the stroke of half-time.

Unsatisfied with their first-half haul, Preston flew out of the traps after the break, with Sedgwick testing Blayney from range and Callum Davidson bursting into the box to narrowly miss finishing a flowing move.

A third goal seemed inevitable, and it duly came when McKenna was afforded an age to cross low from the right for Nugent to stroke home.

Lewis should have made it four moments later as the hosts began carving their opponents apart at will with some incisive moves, although Blayney was proving equal to the onslaught, his finest save coming at the feet of Cresswell.

But such was Preston's dominance, their only moment of concern came in a bizarre incident when a black cat found its way on to the field of play.

With one defeat now in 18 games, any bad luck will have to wait for another day.

Teams:

Preston Nash, Alexander (Davis 80), Lucketti, Mawene, Davidson, Sedgwick (Agyemang 73), McKenna, O'Neil (Folly 84), Lewis, Nugent, Cresswell.

Subs Not Used: Ward, Hill.

Goals: Alexander 31 pen, Cresswell 45, Nugent 51.

Brighton Blayney, Reid, Butters, Dolan (El-Abd 65), Harding, Hart, Oatway, Carpenter, Hammond (McCammon 52), Jones (Knight 52), Virgo.

Subs Not Used: Nicolas, Shaaban.

Sent Off: Hart (30).

Booked: Dolan, Reid.

Att: 14,234

Ref: P Prosser (W Yorkshire).