North End manager Simon Grayson felt that after a slow start his side reacted strongly and did well to comeback and earn a win over Premier League new boys Burnley.
The pre-season derby saw the Lilywhites go behind in the opening 16 minutes, but after that they did not concede a single effort on Jamie Jones’ goal until the 92nd minute, having got back on level terms and then taken the lead themselves, thanks to Alan Browne and Josh Brownhill’s 35-plus yard wonder goal in the final minute.
After the game the manager was please to win, but admitted that had not been the be all and end all of the evening: “I’m not too fussed about the result of pre-season games,” he said. “I am more bothered with how the fitness levels are, how the shape of the team is and the organisation, decision making and problem solving and we had a lot of those things to deal with, especially in the first half tonight.
“Burnley caused us a few problems in the first half and we had to get to grips with things – you don’t come up against players of the quality of Jutkiewicz and Ings every week in our division, but you have to make sure when you do that you solve the problem and make sure you are better and tighter and we did that in the second half.
“We were far better as a unit throughout the team, had a bit more energy about us and to round it off with a fantastic strike from Josh was great for him and nice to get the win in the end.”
That goal was already a goal of the year contender before the league season even gets underway, but the manager added that practice does not always make perfect!
“Josh has been working on them for the last year or so and he hardly ever hits the target!
“We’ve had a lot of laughs and jokes with him over the last few weeks and months when he’s hit them over by yards, so we’ve kept sending him in early, but he pulled one out tonight that flew in the top corner.
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence, which was shown by him taking it in the first place. It will take some beating; if he shoots from there he has to make sure he hits the target and he did that tonight,” he added.
After the game the manager was please to win, but admitted that had not been the be all and end all of the evening: “I’m not too fussed about the result of pre-season games,” he said. “I am more bothered with how the fitness levels are, how the shape of the team is and the organisation, decision making and problem solving and we had a lot of those things to deal with, especially in the first half tonight.
“Burnley caused us a few problems in the first half and we had to get to grips with things – you don’t come up against players of the quality of Jutkiewicz and Ings every week in our division, but you have to make sure when you do that you solve the problem and make sure you are better and tighter and we did that in the second half.
“We were far better as a unit throughout the team, had a bit more energy about us and to round it off with a fantastic strike from Josh was great for him and nice to get the win in the end.”
That goal was already a goal of the year contender before the league season even gets underway, but the manager added that practice does not always make perfect!
“Josh has been working on them for the last year or so and he hardly ever hits the target!
“We’ve had a lot of laughs and jokes with him over the last few weeks and months when he’s hit them over by yards, so we’ve kept sending him in early, but he pulled one out tonight that flew in the top corner.
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence, which was shown by him taking it in the first place. It will take some beating; if he shoots from there he has to make sure he hits the target and he did that tonight,” he added.