Goals from Michael Ball - his first for the club - Georgios Samaras and Stephen Ireland - sealed an emphatic victory.

Yet City boss Pearce must have feared the worst when David Nugent opened the scoring for the Coca-Cola Championship side.

However Preston did not look the same after striker Michael Ricketts was carried off and taken to hospital for X-rays on what appeared to be a damaged shoulder.

City almost took the lead in the first minute when Joey Barton swung in a corner from the right.

Micah Richards then got away from his marker to flick a header towards goal.

Preston centre-back Liam Chilvers mis-kicked and was relieved to concede a corner.

Preston went ahead after seven minutes following a corner from Danny Pugh.

Ricketts header from close range was superbly parried by Nicky Weaver. but Nugent was the first to react and scored his 17th goal of the domestic season.

City retaliated and Bernado Corradi got on the end of cross from Hatem Trabelsi in the 12th minute, only to see his effort go wide.

Preston again found themselves on the back foot three minutes later but Seyfo Soley made a timely clearance from Samaras.

Then Barton found the side-netting from close range as they went in search of the equaliser.

Preston hit back on the counter in the 22nd minute and Weaver did well to beat away a shot from Ricketts.

Nugent reacted quickly but his effort was blocked and Pugh then wasted the opening.

City drew level in the 34th minute with Ball's first goal for the club after arriving from PSV Eindhoven.

Hatem Trabelsi began the move by picking out Corradi who turned quickly only to see his shot come back off the post. Ball rattled in the rebound and his shot hit both posts as it went beyond goalkeeper Andy Lonergan.

Trabelsi almost put City ahead in first-half stoppage time but his effort just cleared the bar before Nugent went close for Preston.

Corradi then found himself in a good position in the 56th minute but failed to test Lonergan.

The Italian striker back-heeled the ball into the penalty area following a corner from Barton but there was no-one to take advantage.

There was a scare for City, however, in the 63rd minute when Danny Pugh delivered a free-kick from the right.

Paul McKenna was left unmarked and got in a header that went over Weaver and over the bar.

City pushed forward in the 69th minute but Trabelsi dragged his effort wide of the post.

Barton sent a free-kick over the bar in the 75 minutes from 20 yards after McKenna had tripped Richards.

Three minutes later Corradi headed wide from close range as City kept up the pressure.

City went ahead in the 84th minute when a shot from Samaras took a double deflection on the way in to leave Lonergan stranded.

Ireland wrapped it up in stoppage time with a stunning volley from the edge of the D after Corradi`s volley had been blocked.