Sheffield Wednesday gave their Coca-Cola Championship survival hopes a huge shot in the arm with arguably their best win of the season at Hillsborough.

The Owls became only the second side to beat play-off chasing Preston in the last 27 Championship matches, ending a 25-year wait for a league victory over North End.

The visitors looked in complete control until Deon Burton struck for the second consecutive game, and Burton O'Brien rounded off a battling display with his first goal in English football.

Despite having all the play until Wednesday scored, Preston were unable to force goalkeeper Scott Carson into a meaningful save all afternoon and fell victim to two sucker-punches.

Boss Billy Davies made four changes from the midweek win over Ipswich, skipper Graham Alexander returning to make his 300th league start for the club, Brian O'Neil recovering from his broken wrist, and Patrick Agyemang and Danny Dichio forming a three-pronged attack.

Owls manager Sturrock stuck with the 3-5-2 system that has sparked improved displays recently but brought back Frank Simek at wing-back in place of club captain Lee Bullen.

With the visitors boasting three wins on their last three visits to Hillsborough and the Championship's second meanest defence, the side with its weakest attack looked up against it from the start.

But they did their best to prove those statistics meaningless early on when Burton's deft flick fed Marcus Tudgay, whose shot deflected behind off O'Neil.

North End were without injured top scorer David Nugent but Agyemang's first attempt to prove an adequate replacement finished wide from just inside the area.

His team-mates were knocking the ball about like a side with all the confidence gleaned from only one defeat in 26 league games but the home defence were holding firm, content to concede a number of corners.

Preston suffered a blow midway throgh the half when Dichio was forced off, Simon Whaley replacing the tall target-man.

But they continued to dominate, Wednesday incapable of retaining possession after winning the ball back.

They almost gifted North End the lead when Mikkel Bischoff's air shot presented the ball to Brett Ormerod, but the striker hesitated long enough for Peter Gilbert to block his finish.

Despite spending the best part of half an hour penned in their own half, Wednesday somehow took the lead when Chris Brunt's corner was flicked goalward by Tudgay and January signing Burton headed in his 16th of the season from all of two yards.

He really should have made it 2-0 from similar range seconds later as Carlo Nash spilled Glenn Whelan's free-kick straight at his feet but he failed to convert.

Tudgay then came close to breaking his 10-game goal drought with a flying header straight at Nash.

Preston looked to have regrouped during the interval but the home side hit them with another knockout blow when Tudgay's quick throw-in released O'Brien who lifted the ball brilliantly over the advancing Nash for the Scot's first goal since joining from Livingston last summer.

Suddenly it was all Wednesday and Youl Mawene's vital interception prevented Burton being played in for number three.

North End's earlier confidence was in danger of evaporating and Davies took action by withdrawing the ineffective Agyemang for Dave Hibbert.

O'Neil could have reduced the arrears but volleyed wide from Tyrone Mears' cleared cross, while at the other end the excellent Burton fizzed a left-footed drive narrowly wide.

Wednesday looked increasingly satisfied with their afternoon's work and reverted to the stout defending that was the true foundation for their victory.

Teams

Sheff Wed Carson, Coughlan, Bischoff, Gilbert, Simek, Brunt,Whelan, Folly, O'Brien, Burton, Tudgay.

Subs Not Used: Adamson, Bullen, MacLean, Best, Hills.

Booked: Tudgay.

Goals: Burton 38, O'Brien 51.

Preston Nash, Mears, Davis, Mawene, Alexander, Sedgwick,O'Neil (Jarrett 80), McKenna, Agyemang (Hibbert 64),Dichio (Whaley 22), Ormerod.

Subs Not Used: Lewis Neal, Wilson.

Booked: Mawene, Ormerod, Mears, Sedgwick, Whaley.

Att: 23,429

Ref: K Woolmer (Northamptonshire).