Troy Parrott’s 81st-minute penalty earned 10-man Preston an unlikely 1-1 draw against Sky Bet Championship play-off hopefuls Luton.
The visitors were in control for long periods against a Preston side low on confidence and on a run of five straight home defeats before Wednesday.
Preston’s task grew in size when Ben Whiteman was dismissed for a crude tackle on Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu five minutes after half-time.
Luton finally scored the goal to reflect their dominance when Carlton Morris met Amari’i Bell’s deep delivery to head home his 12th league goal of the campaign.
Jordan Clark shot narrowly wide as Luton sought to press home their man advantage, but Tom Lockyer was penalised for handling Parrott’s drive following a rare Preston advance.
And the striker, on loan from Tottenham and starting a match for the first time since September, blasted high into the net from 12 yards.
Preston’s wretched home form translated into a nervous start and Parrott thudded the hosts’ only shot of the opening half into the body of Reece Burke.
Luton, meanwhile, were a slow burner as an attacking force. They woke up on 21 minutes when Alvaro Fernandez read play well to head Clark’s goal-bound header behind after Freddie Woodman parried Elijah Adebayo’s original cross.
Adebayo was wayward from a good position after controlling Gabriel Osho’s raking pass from the left and overpowering Andrew Hughes to create the opening.
And with Luton asserting their authority the influential Clark fed Fred Onyedinma’s run behind Ali McCann on the Luton right. Bell met the cutback 18 yards out but sent a first-time shot rushing past the post.
Preston midfielder Whiteman will not recall his 100th Preston appearance with any affection after the midfielder was dismissed for his studs-up challenge on Mpanzu in the 50th minute.
Almost immediately, Adebayo had a chance to compound Preston’s misery but the forward side-footed wide.
Morris was off target with a header from a corner and headed another set-piece against the frame of the goal before eventually defeating Woodman despite the keeper’s efforts to claw the ball off the line.
But Parrott stunned Luton with his penalty equaliser and Tom Cannon could have turned the game on its head but struck wide when clean through.
Luton pushed for the winner and, in stoppage time, Woodman twice saved from Clark and defensive bodies blocked strikes from substitutes Luke Berry and Henri Lansbury.
The Hatters extended their unbeaten away sequence to a fifth match and have won six and drawn two of manager Rob Edwards’ 10 games in charge.
