Two own goals from Norwich enabled Preston to coast to a victory which enabled them to leapfrog Crystal Palace into fifth place in the Coca-Cola Championship.

With the Eagles losing 2-0 at Leicester on Friday night, North End move above them on goal difference and it could not have been an easier afternoon for Billy Davies' side.

They took the lead when Jason Shackell thumped a header in off the crossbar and into his own goal from a Paul McKenna corner. And just before the interval Gary Doherty diverted Simon Whaley's cross past goalkeeper Robert Green with Marcus Stewart in close attendance.

Mathematically the Canaries now have no chance of a top-six finish and at no point did they trouble Preston in a game which never really found a rhythm.

The hosts had the first decent opportunity but Brett Ormerod headed straight at Green from Graham Alexander's free-kick with just a minute on the clock.

Making his first return to Deepdale, Dickson Etuhu, who broke North End midfielder Adam Nowland's leg in Preston's 3-0 win in January, was quick to get involved with a crude lunge on Brian O'Neil.

With a quarter of an hour gone a Darren Huckerby free-kick was flicked towards goal by Doherty but punched clear by North End goalkeeper Carlo Nash.

But in the 20th minute, North End took the lead with McKenna's corner thumped off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of his own net by Shackell.

North End continued to look the most likely to score without creating chances, although an accurate cross from McKenna was glanced high and wide by Ormerod.

But eight minutes before the break, Doherty added a second own goal when, at full stretch, he poked Whaley's whipped cross past Green under heavy pressure from Stewart.

That was enough to give North End a healthy lead, although their lengthy injury list was added to by O'Neil and Stewart before the interval.

The Canaries' first real effort came six minutes into the second period with Doherty meeting a Robert Earnshaw free-kick, but his header flew off-target.

The hosts were content with their lead but substitute Dave Hibbert was still giving Doherty and Shackell trouble on the break and Tyrone Mears also fired just over from distance.

As Preston continued to probe, Hibbert headed just past the post from a lobbed Alexander ball in but the two goals had clearly killed the game.

With just over 10 minutes left, Andy Hughes picked out Earnshaw down the left channel but on the one occasion he managed to get free of Claude Davis, he lobbed wide.

Then a corner from Ian Henderson was headed back into danger by Davis but Jonatan Johansson's stabbed effort was deflected wide, while McKenna went close at the other end in added time.

Teams

Preston Nash, Mears, Davis, Mawene, Alexander,Whaley (Wilson 83), McKenna, O'Neil (Sedgwick 27),Stewart (Hibbert 44), Agyemang, Ormerod.

Subs Not Used: Ward, Lewis Neal.

Booked: Nash.

Goals: Shackell 20 og, Doherty 38 og.

Norwich Green, Fleming, Doherty, Shackell, Drury, Hughes,Etuhu, Robinson (Henderson 78), Huckerby, Earnshaw,McKenzie (Johansson 12).

Subs Not Used: Charlton, Gallacher, Colin.

Booked: Drury.

Att: 15,714

Ref: M Fletcher (Worcestershire).