David Healy capped a remarkable six days with a last-minute winner as Leeds extended their unbeaten run to four matches and moved off the bottom of the Coca-Cola Championship.

The Northern Ireland international pounced at the far post to head home Eddie Lewis' cross for his sixth goal in three matches and snatch a priceless win for Dennis Wise's relegation battlers.

Healy fired a hat-trick for his country in Liechtenstein on Saturday, fired a brilliant brace for the Province four days later and proved the match-winner again against promotion-chasing Preston.

Brett Ormerod threatened to upstage Healy and new England international David Nugent with a fourth-minute opener for the visitors before former Darlington striker Robbie Blake hauled Leeds level early in the second half.

Leeds produced some of their best football under Dennis Wise but looked like they were going to have to settle for only a point - until Healy scored.

Michael Gray made his second debut for Leeds in place of Robbie Elliott at left-back and Healy was recalled in place of another ex-Quakers striker, Tresor Kandol.

Leeds were undone by a pair of old boys as early as the fourth minute when Danny Pugh's slide-rule through-ball was steered home by former loanee Ormerod - once an Elland Road player.

Leeds responded with Radostin Kishishev blazing over from 25 yards and Lubomir Michalik's unlikely volley dipping narrowly wide.

Blake almost fired Leeds level when he turned smartly inside and unleashed a vicious, low 20-yard drive which almost grazed the post.

But Ormerod fired another warning in the 23rd minute when he sprang the offside trap again and forced Casper Ankergren into a fine save.

Healy went close to lashing home from Blake's low corner, but his snap-shot from the edge of the penalty area arrowed inches over the crossbar.

The Elland Road kop sensed an equaliser. Heath shot wide following another goalmouth scramble, but Preston held firm.

Leeds hauled themselves level five minutes after the restart. Cresswell powered into the penalty area and delivered the perfect cross to the far post where Blake held his nerve to steer the ball home.

Nugent then found himself one-on-one with Ankergren on the edge of the penalty area but made a real hash of what should have been Preston's second goal.

So soon after Blake's leveller it would have been a killer blow for Leeds, but with just the goalkeeper to beat the England international lost control and tamely surrendered the ball.

Blake and Cresswell combined well and the latter's excellent cross evaded Eddie Lewis' far post lunge as Leeds pinned the visitors back.

Blake dragged a left-foot shot off target before Leeds enjoyed another let-off.

Nugent's cross bounced invitingly for substitute Michael Ricketts - a 61st-minute substitute for Callum Davidson, less than six yards out - but and the former Leeds man somehow blasted high over the crossbar.

Just as it appeared the game would end in the stalemate neither side wanted, Lewis fired over a looping cross to the far post and when Pergl hesitated Healy nipped in to head the ball home and deal a blow to Preston's hopes of automatic promotion.