Plymouth staged a brilliant second-half fightback from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Preston.
North End led through goals by Sam Greenwood, Mads Frokjaer-Jensen and Brad Potts and were set to pile pressure on Argyle boss Wayne Rooney.
The hosts had other ideas, though, as Freddie Issaka and late goals from Andre Gray and Morgan Whittaker pulled them back level.
On-loan Leeds striker Greenwood fired North End ahead on 16 minutes, reacting first when Argyle keeper Dan Grimshaw parried Kaine Kesler-Hayden’s thumping strike following a run past two defenders.
Midfielder Adam Randell was caught on the ball midway inside his own half in the 21st minute by Preston’s Emil Riis and Greenwood was quick to respond, latching on to a through-ball to flash a shot just wide of goal.
Danish striker Riis came close to making it 2-0 in the 27th minute but his soaring shot from the angle of the box flew just over after he was put in on goal by Robbie Brady. It was Brady’s last meaningful involvement as he limped off in the 30th minute, replaced by Potts.
Preston continued to press and Riis beat marker Victor Palsson with clever footwork before forcing Grimshaw into a near-post save on 33 minutes.
Whittaker cut inside from the Plymouth right to try his luck with a characteristic left-foot shot on 38 minutes but his effort was blocked.
When Randell was again caught on the ball on the halfway line, North End took full advantage to move the ball quickly and score a second goal in the third and final minute of first-half stoppage time. Riis threaded the ball through to Frokjaer-Jensen who swept it past Grimshaw.
North End surged further ahead in the 48th minute when on-loan Aston Villa man Kesler-Hayden put substitute Potts through and he beat Joe Edwards and lofted the ball over Grimshaw.
It could have been four but for Grimshaw saving from Greenwood on 53 minutes after Potts’ pass released the striker.
Plymouth pulled a goal back from Randell’s 54th-minute free-kick from 20 yards, which Freddie Woodman could only parry into the path of Issaka who finished first time.
On 82 minutes Argyle pulled another goal back when substitute Gray headed home a brilliant deep cross from the left by Bali Mumba at the far post, back across keeper Woodman.
In the first of six minutes of stoppage time Argyle sub Darko Gyabi – on loan from Leeds – headed just over the bar from Kornel Szucs’ deep cross.
Argyle playmaker Whittaker levelled in the second minute of stoppage time, smashing home a cut-back from substitute Mustapha Bundu.
Woodman made a brilliant diving save in the fifth minute of stoppage time to keep out Gray’s goal-bound shot as Argyle went in search of an unlikely winner.
The managers
Plymouth’s Wayne Rooney:
To follow…
Preston’s Paul Heckingbottom:
To follow…
