FORMER Shrimps favourite Tom Barkhuizen scored one of the goals as Jim Bentley's side suffered their first pre season defeat.
The Shrimps went down 2-0 at the Globe Arena with a 36th minute strike from Barkhuizen followed by second half second through Ben Pearson who fired home from 25 yards.
Both sides produced decent displays on a warm evening with Bentley and new PNE boss Alex Neil using the full depth of their respective squads.
The game's first chance fell to Jordan Hugill inside five minutes, his shot held at the second attempt by the Shrimps' trialist goalkeeper, playing in place of weekend injury victim Barry Roche.
At the other end, Kevin Ellison's cross from the left was cleared out of the six-yard box by Andy Boyle.
Marnick Vermijl saw a shot from 25 yards clip off a home defender and go behind for a corner, while a Johnson effort from slightly closer in was comfortably fielded by the keeper.
Hugill lifted a shot on the half-turn over the bar after Horgan's corner had led to a goalmouth scramble, before North End nudged ahead nine minutes before the break.
Robinson's pass found Barkhuizen down the left hand side of the box, the former Morecambe man holding off a challenge and hitting a shot with the outside of his right foot across the keeper and into the net via the inside of the far post.
Both sides had a chance before the interval, Hugill's ambitious effort from 30 yards sailing over the bar after he had made room with a nice turn.
In the 44th minute Ellison chased the ball down the right channel, checked on to his left foot and sent a cross into the box. Garry Thompson met it but under pressure from Boyle, hooked a shot straight at Chris Maxwell. Morecambe made a half-time substitute, summer signing Adam Campbell replacing Rhys Turner.
Three minutes into the second half, Johnson's free-kick from 25 yards hit the wall and bounced to safety. Horgan then cut inside from the left-wing and curled a right-foot shot from the side of the box inches wide of the far post.
Preston's second goal came in the 56th minute, Pearson letting fly with a right-foot shot from 25 yards which stayed quite low and flew past the diving keeper.
A plethora of substitutions were made after an hour, Morecambe changing six players and PNE 10.
Eoin Doyle worked himself into a shooting position in the 75th minute but saw his effort from distance fly over the bar and into the Preston fans behind the goal.
Morecambe went close to halving the arrears when Paul Huntington's sliced clearance across the box was seized upon by Luke Jordan in the box. The young substitute bought himself a bit of space before getting a low shot away which flew just wide as the Shrimps failed to find a consolation goal.
Morecambe: Trialist, McGowan (Brough 60), Trialist (Hawley 60), Trialist, Conlon (Lund 60), Hedley (Kenyon 60), Rose (Trialist 60), Thompson (Jordan 70), Turner (Campbell 46), Ellison (Yawson 83), Oliver. (Fleming 60)
PNE: Maxwell (Hudson 60), Vermijl (Grimshaw 60), Boyle Huntington 60), Davies Spurr 60), Cunningham (Earl 60), Pearson Browne 60), Johnson, Barkhuizen (Meulensteen 60), Robinson (Doyle 60), Horgan (Pringle 60), Hugill (May 60).
Ref: Darren Handley (Bolton)