Sheffield Wednesday slipped further into the relegation mire at Deepdale.

Having fallen into the dreaded drop-zone after their 3-1 home capitulation to Crystal Palace on Saturday, Terry Yorath's men arrived in Preston desperate for a result of any kind.

But on a pitch made treacherous by the deluge that preceded the match, goals from Dickson Etuhu, Jon Macken, debutant Paul Reid and sub David Healy gave the hosts a comfortable win.

Alan Quinn's fortunate strike had brought the Owls back into the game at 2-1, but once they had squandered two superb chances to level early in the second half, there was only going to be one winner.

The heavy conditions were bound to provide fertile ground for errors and so it proved in the opening exchanges.

With barely two minutes on the clock, Wednesday had a superb chance to put the Palace result out of their minds.

With neither side able to put a calm foot on the ball, Trond-Egil Soltvedt was presented with it eight yards out with the keeper stranded.

For a moment he looked a certainty to score, but a combination of the muddy penalty area and the skipper's own clumsy control contrived to enable Preston to clear.

For a time, that remained Wednesday's only action as the hosts took up the baton to exert more pressure, with Richard Cresswell squandering two excellent chances to increase his nine-goal tally this season.

The goal when it came was simplicity itself. A typically accurate corner was nodded in at the near post by Etuhu, who arrived from Manchester City last month, for his first goal in a North End shirt.

Number two arrived nine minutes later, with Macken, who last week was taken off the transfer list much to the supporters' glee, taking advantage of space provided by the Wednesday back four to drive a low 10-yard shot underneath the body of on-loan keeper Paul Heald.

Preston could have made it three through Macken again, but Terry Yorath's men were gifted a lifeline in the 36th minute when Graham Alexander's slip allowed Quinn to sidefoot home and briefly make the game a contest.

North End, playing their fourth game in 11 days, should have made it three early in the second half in almost comical manner.

Lovely footwork on the right byline by Cresswell enabled him to pull the ball back to the six-yard line with the keeper beaten.

Instead of finding one of his team-mates however, the ball was met firmly by Paul McLaren and it was only the alertness of Ashley Westwood on the goal-line that spared Wednesday's blushes.

And that let-off should have paid dividends for the visitors immediately, but first Matthew Hamshaw and then David Johnson, on loan from Nottingham Forest, managed to waste opportunities that looked easier to score.

After that kind of profligacy, Wednesday did not deserve another chance, and after 66 minutes came Preston's killer third.

Again Alexander was the provider, from a right-hand corner, but this time it was Reid, making his debut after joining on loan from Rangers, who was on hand to power in a free header.

Seven minutes later and the margin increased further when Etuhu, who looked impressive in midfield throughout, cleverly set up Healy and the Northern Ireland international converted for his ninth of the campaign.

Wednesday did pull another one back, Efan Ekoku drilling home from the spot after Soltvedt was up-ended.

But it was not enough. Another defeat for Wednesday, and a desperate survival battle beckons.