A stunning debut goal from Pavel Pergl and a neat strike by Daniele Dichio ensured there was no FA Cup hangover for Preston as they edged past Norwich 2-1 in the Coca-Cola Championship.

Pergl, a January transfer window signing from Sparta Prague, lit up Deepdale with a dipping drive from 30 yards after 26 minutes to hand Preston the lead their enterprising display deserved.

And two minutes before the break Preston doubled their advantage.

Dichio, replacing the injured Michael Ricketts in the starting XI, guided the ball past Norwich goalkeeper Paul Gallacher from eight yards after being teed up by Paul McKenna.

Jason Shackell pulled a goal back for the visitors after 63 minutes, but Paul Simpson's side held firm to remain in the hunt for automatic promotion. North End, who were dumped out in the FA Cup fifth round by Manchester City on Sunday, started in confident mood and were only denied the opening goal after seven minutes by an athletic piece of goalkeeping from Gallacher.

The Scot got down well to beat away David Nugent's stinging drive after the highly-rated striker had burst through a static Canaries defence.

The pressure from Preston in the opening stages was incessant and Gallacher was called into action again soon after, diving bravely at the feet of Dichio to claw away Matthew Hill's teasing cross.

New Gambian signing Seyfo Soley, making his first start in the Championship, cut a dominant figure at the heart of the Preston defence and superbly defended the limited threat offered by Norwich's inexperienced strike force of Chris Brown and Chris Martin.

Nugent, who has been courted by a string of Premiership clubs, was pulling the strings for the Lilywhites and it was from another of his darting runs that Preston threatened to score a third.

The England Under-21 ace played a neat pass into the path of winger Simon Whaley and after bursting from just inside his own half he unleashed a crisp drive that flew narrowly past Gallacher's right-hand post.

Preston begun the second half with the same verve which had characterised their display in the opening period and Soley came agonisingly close to capping a memorable display with a goal after 47 minutes.

He was sharpest to react to the Norwich's indecision from a deep free-kick, but his point-blank shot was superbly deflected over the crossbar by the sprawling Shackell.

That near-miss appeared to galvanise the Canaries and they wasted a golden opportunity to pull a goal back just minutes later.

Brown produced a swashbuckling run down Preston's right flank and his low cross was thumped against the post by Lee Croft from 10 yards.

But they did not have to wait long to find the net as Shackell met Mark Fotheringham's inswinging corner with a thumping header from the edge of the six-yard box.

Substitute Paul McVeigh and Martin both wasted half-chances as Norwich pressed for an equaliser, but despite Norwich's spirited second-half display Preston remained resolute to claim three crucial points.

Teams:

Preston Lonergan, Wilson, Soley (St. Ledger 82), Chilvers,Hill, Whaley, Pergl, McKenna, Pugh, Dichio (Agyemang 79),Nugent (Mellor 85).

Subs Not Used: Henderson, Sedgwick.

Goals: Pergl 28, Dichio 43.

Norwich Gallacher, Doherty, Shackell, Dublin (Thorne 24),Drury, Croft, Hughes, Fotheringham, Lappin, Brown, Martin,Thorne (McVeigh 46).

Subs Not Used: Lewis, Eagle, Colin.

Booked: Fotheringham.

Goals: Shackell 62.

Att: 11,601

Ref: P Dowd (Staffordshire).