Preston manager Alan Irvine is delighted with his side's performance at Hillsborough and has credited the team for reacting positively to their defeat at QPR last weekend.
After the game, Irvine told pne.com: "It was a great response. As I've said many times, you will lose games in this league, it's how you bounce back from defeat. To come here and to withstand the kind of pressure we knew we would have to withstand and then go on from there and be a lot more comfortable in the second half was enormous credit to the players."
The gaffer knew that his side needed to stay disciplined in the opening stages of the match and has praised goalkeeper Andy Lonergan for his early save from Leon Clarke's effort.
"It was a magnificent save, there's no question about that. He made a few very good saves including one that came back off of the post from (Jermaine) Johnson a little bit later. We know what Sheffield Wednesday are like here at Hillsborough, they've scored five goals in their six home games inside the first ten minutes so we knew exactly what was going to happen and what was going to be thrown at us."
North End took the lead in the 19th minute through Neil Mellor's glancing header but were unable to go into the break with their goal lead. But Irvine was growing concerned by the number of free kicks that his side were conceding and they were punished for it before half time when Michael Gray scored a spectacular free kick.
"It was one of those situations when you know you have got things to sort out and you are praying for half time to come without conceding a goal. Unfortunately we didn't and one of the things I was concerned about was them giving away needless free kicks, partly because of the pressure Sheffield Wednesday were putting us under. But you have to be disciplined in those situations and sure enough one of free kicks we conceded, unnecessarily in my view, was the one they got the goal from."
The Scotsman was glad to get his team in to regroup at half time and his team talk seemed to do the trick as Jon Parkin put the Lilywhites back in the lead soon after the restart.
"We needed to use the ball better when we had got it; we know that Sheffield Wednesday press very hard, very high and play at a really high tempo. You can't afford to take extra touches in the middle of the park but whenever you play against pressing teams the space is in behind them.
"The goal actually came from us putting the ball in behind the full back, which like I say is a way to beat the pressing that they have to try and adopt. It was a terrific ball by Eddie Nolan, good play by Neil Mellor and a fantastic finish by Parky."
North End's goals were scored in Yorkshire and made in Yorkshire and the gaffer believes that these goals were extra special for local lads Mellor and Parkin.
"Well strikers enjoy scoring goals anyway but obviously there are certain places you enjoy scoring at more than others. It would appear that Parky quite liked scoring here."
This win has kept North End in the play-off places and Irvine is delighted that his side go into Saturday's game with Middlesbrough on a high.
"It was really important that we bounced back. I'm absolutely delighted that we have got the three points and delighted the fact that it keeps us up there. We're now going into a really tough game against Middlesbrough."
