English League Championship play-offs semi-finals, first legs/Leeds - 1 Preston - 1: Former Preston winger Eddie Lewis struck a superb free-kick to rescue Leeds from defeat and leave the Championship play-off semi-final delicately poised.
David Nugent's brilliant individual strike three minutes after the restart put Billy Davies' in-form side on course for a slender victory at Elland Road.
But US winger Lewis, a free transfer signing from Preston last summer, equalised with 15 minutes remaining to leave Monday's decisive second leg at Deepdale on a knife-edge.
Nugent could yet emerge as the man who fires Preston back into the top flight after a painful 45-year absence.
Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell, meanwhile, made seven changes from the side which lost 2-0 at Deepdale on the final day of the season.
Along with Lewis, David Healy and Sean Gregan also lined up against their erstwhile employers, while another former Deepdale favourite, Richard Cresswell, was a shock inclusion among the home substitutes.
Cresswell had been sidelined since February with damaged knee ligaments and his return gave the tie extra spice in front of over 35,000 supporters.
The kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes after traffic congestion on the M62 delayed the arrival of some 4,900 Preston fans.
Blackwell had built the game up by describing it as the club's most significant since the 2001 Champions League semi-final against Valencia. And the atmosphere was certainly reminiscent of that brief but brilliant era as Leeds, inspired by a raucous crowd, forced a succession of early corners.
Yet it was Preston, who arrived at Elland Road on the back of an eight-match unbeaten run, who produced the first noteworthy goalscoring opportunity after seven minutes.
Skipper Graham Alexander's clever quick free-kick from the right found Nugent unmarked but the young Liverpudlian could only blaze wildly over the bar from just 12 yards.
Leeds began to up the tempo as the half wore on and after 20 minutes defender Matthew Kilgallon was desperately unlucky to see his far-post header rebound off a post after connecting with Lewis' right-wing corner.
Healy saw a 20-yard free-kick blocked by the wall after 35 minutes following Claude Davis' clumsy foul on Lewis.
And two minutes before the break Leeds went agonisingly close when Liam Miller looked set to deflect in Rob Hulse's header, but for goalkeeper Carlo Nash's crucial intervention.
Seconds later Healy delivered a brilliant right-wing cross but Paul McKenna's vital interception averted the danger.
There lay the nagging suspicion that Preston could pilfer a goal on the counter-attack and the threat became reality three minutes after the restart.
Nugent collected possession 25 yards from goal and embarked on a delightful weaving run which took him past four Leeds players and slipped the ball past Neil Sullivan from 10 yards.
The defending from Leeds was woeful but that should take nothing away from Nugent's 11th goal of the season.
Leeds continued to huff and puff, but despite the introduction of former England winger Steve Stone, they posed precious little serious goal threat.
However, after Davis fouled Miller 22 yards from goal with 15 minutes remaining, Lewis stepped up to curl a brilliant left-foot strike past Nash and into the top corner.
Tensions reached boiling point in the closing stages following a clash between Hulse and Davis, but neither side could find a potentially priceless winner.
LEEDS: Sullivan, Kelly, Gregan, Kilgallon, Crainey, Miller, Bakke (Stone 57), Derry (Cresswell 79), Lewis, Healy (Blake 72), Hulse. Subs not used: Bennett, Douglas. Booked: Bakke, Miller, Cresswell. Goals: Lewis 74.
PRESTON: Nash, Mears, Davis, Mawene, Alexander, Jarrett, O'Neil (Whaley 64), McKenna, Nugent (Agyemang 64), Dichio, Ormerod (Sedgwick 88). Subs not used: Ward, Wilson. Booked: Davis. Goals: Nugent 48.
Referee: P Crossley (Kent).
