Ryan Lowe gave all the credit to his players for what he felt was an “unbelievable performance” in the 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town.
Preston North End, facing a side who have been beaten only three times this Championship season, raced into a three-goal lead thanks to a brace from Will Keane and a George Edmundson own goal.
The visitors did threaten a late comeback as half-time substitute Kieffer Moore scored twice, and the defence had to hold strong towards the end to hold on to an impressive win.
Asked how he was felling, Ryan said: “Relieved really but I’m proud of the boys. I thought they were fantastic.
“We were right on the front foot and to go three goals up against a good team like Ipswich is pleasing, of course.
“I think we’re the only team outside the top six to beat them. They’ve only lost three before today. They’re a fantastic outfit, but our lads were brilliant from start to finish.
“I think there was a time in the game [when they were on top] where they scored their goals, but even after that I’m looking at the resilience and character shown to make sure they don’t concede that third one, because it would have been a kick in the teeth. They went on and kept doing the right things.
“That was pleasing towards the end because you are going to come up against good players and good teams who are going to keep battering the door down to try get goals back, but we withstood large parts of that.
“The first half was an unbelievable performance. To go 3-0 up was massively pleasing.”
PNE seemed to be perfecting a gameplan in the first half, putting the visitors under immense pressure as they persisted with playing out from the back.
The manager wants to see that kind of bravery and belief from his players more often, and to know they can put in that kind of performance wherever they go.
Ryan said: “The credit goes to the players. They’ve been outstanding.
“That’s the belief I’m wanting to get into them and the mentality. The character, the desire and the commitment is there, but [we need] the mentality of knowing that we can beat teams and how we beat them.
“We wanted to be on the front foot. We knew they were going to play risky football at times and it got us a goal.
“It possibly should have got us another one later on when the ‘keeper handballs it [from a back pass], but credit where credit’s due to the players. They were fantastic from start to finish.”
The second half was never likely to be the same as the first, with Kieran McKenna’s visitors desperate to take at least a point to help them in their push for promotion.
Debutant Moore’s double set up a nervy finish for PNE as they had to deal with an aerial bombardment to hold on to an impressive three points.
Ryan added: “I’ve got belief in the lads that they can withstand that pressure which they did towards the end.
“The fans rallied them on right until the end, singing knowing that we’re under a little bit of pressure and that we have to soak it up.
“They played a big part in it because at 3-2 it’s easy for the lads to go flat and the place to go flat, but they never did.
“They started singing and got us going so they played a big part in getting us over the line today because we did have to withstand pressure.”