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This really was a must win game for us and Owen Coyle made three changes from the side that had lost to Wolves. It took a few howlers for Brian Jensen to lose his place in goal, but that bad performance from Gabor Kiraly last week was enough to see him ousted once more with Jensen coming back in.
David Unsworth was preferred ahead of Steven Caldwell to replace the injured Stanislav Varga in the centre of defence and in the only other change fit again Chris McCann reclaimed his central midfield berth meaning Joey Gudjonsson was on the bench.
With over 3,000 away fans inside the ever changing Deepdale it was the Clarets who got off to the better start and took the game to Preston, causing them plenty of problems in the opening three or four minutes.
It was just the start we wanted but eventually the ball did have to come into our half, and as soon as it did we were a goal behind. We really are perfecting the art of giving goals away and this one was right in that category. A cross from Simon Whaley went straight to David Unsworth but his clearance was horrible and gave Tamas Priskin the chance to shoot right into the corner giving Brian Jensen no chance.
It led to a long period when we couldn't get into the game at all and how Preston didn't double or even treble there lead or more is anyone's guess. Jensen made one routine save but then did really well to block Priskin when he was clear on goal. The ball rebounded to Chris Brown but the former RK Sunderland and Norwich striker made a right mess of his shot and screwed it wide. Jensen deserved that bit of luck for the initial save.
He got himself into all sorts of problems in Preston's next attack when he came, then stopped as Priskin bore down on him once more. Badly positioned he may have been but he made an excellent save down to his left to deny the striker at the expense of a corner.
It was frightening stuff from a Preston side who are hardly subtle in their approach. They basically just hammer the ball down the pitch and chase it and our defending of this was so bad they were getting chance after chance.
Eventually we got ourselves back into the game and started to play some decent stuff. Robbie Blake shot over, Wade Elliott dallied and his shot was blocked and then he tried his look from distance after goalkeeper Andy Lonergan made a right mess of a long kick out from Jensen.
An equaliser was surely on the way and just seven minutes before half time it duly came. The ball fell to James O'Connor following a corner and his shot found its way in although it did look as though Lonergan should have done better with it.
We'd worked hard to get ourselves back in and it was something of a relief to go in level at half time. There had been a lot of attacking play from both sides, two sides with totally different styles of playing the game, now we needed to step it up and go on and win it.
It looked that way as we started the second half even more brightly than we started the first with Coyle having brought on Caldwell for Unsworth who had had something of a nightmare.
But again we fell behind to virtually Preston's first attack of the half. McCann lost possession and they broke quickly to win a corner. When it came over Jensen's punch was poor and after a scramble it was turned in by Brown. Not another goalkeeping error costing a goal I hear you say, but yes it was.
This time there was no onslaught from Preston but likewise there was no real comeback from Burnley. Much of the second half was very scrappy although we did keep getting the ball into the net once the referee's whistle had blown for one infringement or another.
Andrew Cole came on for a limping Kyle Lafferty and then Joey Gudjonsson replaced Jimmy O, but none of it made much difference. We three Carlisle up for the last few minutes and I think it is fair to say he made an impact.
We did get a couple of superb crosses into the box but there was no one able to get on the end of either of them, and then three times in a short space of time attacks were ended because of needless fouls by Carlisle.
You sensed he was getting frustrated and deep into stoppage time he lunged at Sean St. Ledger and referee Uriah Rennie went straight for his red card. Was he right to send him off? I'm not sure, I didn't get the best of views but Rennie was just a matter of feet away from the incident as he'd been all afternoon. He'd had as good a game as I've seen from a referee all season up to that point.
As for Burnley, this really was another disastrous afternoon. Preston were not good at all, they were the sort of side that we were beating with ease not too long ago. But we are no longer a side in form, we've won just one of our last six games and the once excellent away record is fading fast with this our third defeat in four on the road with the other drawn at Stoke.
Surely any last lingering hopes of the play offs are all but gone now. It would take something of an inspired finish to the season to get anywhere near them and we just don't look capable of that right now. There have been too many downright bad performances recently, and this was very much another.
The teams were;
Preston: Andy Lonergan, Billy Jones, Youl Mawene, Sean St. Ledger, Callum Davidson, Chris Sedgwick, Darren Carter, Paul McKenna, Simon Whaley, Tamas Priskin (Neil Mellor 70), Chris Brown. Subs not used: Chris Neal, Matt Hill, Lewis Neal, Richard Chaplow.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, David Unsworth (Steven Caldwell 45), Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor (Joey Gudjonsson 73), Chris McCann, Kyle Lafferty (Andrew Cole 68), Ade Akinbiyi, Robbie Blake. Subs not used: Gabor Kiraly, Alan Mahon.
Referee: Uriah Rennie (Sheffield).
Attendance: 16,149.