STOKE secured a second consecutive win as their 2-1 home win dragged Preston into the relegation fight as Craig Brown's team suffered two worrying injuries at the Britannia Stadium.
Brynjar Gunnarsson and Peter Hoekstra struck twice in a two-minute period just before the interval to lift Stoke to within a point of fourth-from-bottom Grimsby.
Both North End striker Richard Cresswell and goalkeeper David Lucas were taken off as Preston lost their fourth successive game as Pawel Abbott's goal in injury-time proved too little, too late for the visitors.
Brown lost his first-choice goalkeeper at half-time with an injury, but will be even more concerned about the potential loss of 11-goal Cresswell, who limped off midway through the first half.
With Ricardo Fuller out with a long-term injury it could mean Preston trying to halt their slide without their two joint-top scorers.
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