Burton Albion's fans were given a horrendous case of deja vu as more second-half goals saw their losing run at the Pirelli Stadium stretched to seven games at the hands of Preston North End.
For a fourth time in five home outings, the Brewers were level at the break and with a chance to reenergise their season.
But Tom Clarke and Daryl Horgan struck for the Lilywhites in the second 45 to further deflate an Albion side that is looking increasingly devoid of confidence on home soil.
Lucas Akins gave the briefest glimpse of hope with an emphatic strike in the 93rd minute, but was the epitome of too little, too late.
Lloyd Dyer's return from a hamstring strain was the only change to the Brewers team from the defeat at Derby County last weekend.
He replaced Marvin Sordell and lined up in a three-man attacking line behind lone forward Akins, with Matt Palmer and Will Miller the others in that trio.
Tom Naylor and Luke Murphy were the holding midfielders, with Naylor especially getting on the ball plenty early on and looking to spread possession.
The back four of John Brayford, Jake Buxton, Ben Turner and Tom Flanagan largely dealt with Preston's threats in the first half, although the hosts did find gaps when Burton stretched themselves forward in attack.
The first 45 saw only sporadic openings at either end.
Akins came close to embarrassing Chris Maxwell in the away goal when the visiting keeper rushed 30 yards to the left flank to tackle the Burton forward, only to lose out.
Akins' effort from a tough angle, though, hit the sidenetting.
Maxwell was in smarter form to hold Miller's 18-yard volley after some tidy build-up play.
Stephen Bywater, meanwhile, had to be alert to dive across and tip Darnell Fisher's powerful effort away, and Brayford then produced a characteristically impressive goal-line block to deny Callum Robinson's low strike just before the break.
The Brewers got on the ball better just after the break but, crucially they were unable to turn it into gilt-edged chances.
And Preston made them pay in the 66th minute.
A host of players jumped to get something on a corner to the back post, and the ball dropped right into the path of Clarke, who made no mistake from close range.
It means Albion are still yet to keep a clean sheet on home soil this season.
Maxwell did his best to ensure that goal would be the crucial one, tipping Palmer's free-kick over and then superbly denying an Akins header that was destined for the top corner.
The game was then decided with less than 10 minutes to go when substitute Daryl Horgan calmly swept a low finish past Bywater from 18 yards after Buxton had blocked a previous shot.
A couple of brilliant point-blank stops from Bywater kept the damages at 2-0 - and there was even time for Akins to ram home a last-gasp consolation.
But that will be little solace to an Albion side whose home form is threatening to be the defining factor of their season.
