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The game saw Latics debut's for Mike Pollitt in goal, Pascal Chimbonda and Ryan Taylor, whilst latest addition Henchoz managed a good half hour.
Scottish international McCulloch opened the scoring for the Latics when he fired in the rebound to his own initial shot, which North End 'keeper Nash had only parried.
O'Neil equalised for Preston with a carbon copy of the goal he scored in the league fixture last term.
Latics boss Paul Jewell was pleased with the work-out his players got and he told the club's official website: "It was competitive as far as a friendly goes, we've got a lot to work on that's for sure. It's the first game we've had since we went to Denmark. Tonight I was pleased with some aspects but displeased with others.
"We came through with no injuries, and Stephane [Henchoz] has had half an hour under his belt, Pollit and Ryan [Taylor] made their debuts, as did Pascal [Chimbonda]. They played a proper competitive game because coming here against Preston is never going to be easy."
One sour note was the ease of the goal Preston scored. It was similar in many ways to the goal O'Neil got against the Latics in the game at Deepdale last season.
Paul Jewell wasn't happy with it either, he said: "It was the same bad marking from the corner, and I wasn't laughing about it too much! I was pleased with the goal we scored, there was good movement, but their goal was a joke!
"It was poor marking, but you can't just give free headers away like that. If you do that in the Premiership and you go a goal down, you're very unlikely to get back into it. We can't afford to do that in the Premiership, if we gift teams goals then we will struggle."
