Darren Ambrose was on target to snatch a point for Crystal Palace and deny Preston the chance to move back into the Coca-Cola Championship play-off places.

The former Newcastle and Charlton midfielder is enjoying a prolific season since joining the Eagles on a free transfer in the summer, and he tucked away his eighth goal of the campaign to cancel out Ross Wallace's strike.

Wallace fired Preston into a deserved lead with a superb curling free-kick but their advantage lasted less than two minutes before Ambrose struck.

Richard Chaplow could have won the game for North End in the final 10 minutes but the midfielder fired wide from in front of goal.

The visitors created the first chance when Alan Lee fired a shot goalwards but Preston keeper Andy Lonergan turned it over the crossbar.

But Preston soon took control and Palace survived some intense pressure in the 17th minute when Chris Brown met Wallace's corner with a header which looped over goalkeeper Julian Speroni but was nodded off the line by Jose Fonte.

From the resulting corner, Neil Collins got his head to the ball but Speroni was this time able to make the save.

Preston took the lead their dominance merited in the 35th minute when Fonte tripped Brown on the edge of the penalty area.

Scotland midfielder Wallace stepped up and expertly curled the free-kick over the wall and into the top corner of Speroni's net for his second goal of the season.

But they were pegged back moments later when Ambrose was given too much time to control Lee's header, turn and sweep the ball past Lonergan.

Palace looked the livelier side at the start of the second half, and Lee put a header wide from Danny Butterfield's cross.

Ambrose nearly scored an audacious second when he let fly from all of 35 yards but Lonergan scrambled back and was able to make the save.

Preston thought they should have had a penalty when Shaun Derry appeared to handle in the area, but the linesman had already flagged for offside to the annoyance of the home crowd.

Ambrose tested Lonergan again from another Palace counter-attack, but the best chance of a winner fell to Chaplow seven minutes from time.

Wallace played Chaplow in behind the Palace defence and the midfielder found himself one on one with Speroni, only to screw his shot wastefully wide.

Teams:

Preston Lonergan, Jones, Collins, Chilvers, Nolan,Parry (Sedgwick 66), Carter (Shumulikoski 59), Chaplow,Wallace, Mellor, Brown (Parkin 60).

Subs Not Used: Henderson, Hart, Mawene, Elliott.

Booked: Chaplow.

Goals: Wallace 35.

Crystal Palace Speroni, Butterfield, Fonte, Davis,Clyne (Hills 73), Derry, Ertl, Danns, Ambrose, Lee (John 73),Moses (Ryan Smith 56).

Subs Not Used: Carle, Scannell, Cadogan, N'Diaye.

Booked: Fonte, Davis.

Goals: Ambrose 37.

Att: 12,558

Ref: David Foster (Tyne & Wear).