Caretaker Robert Kelly presided over a magnificent seven at Deepdale as North End booked an FA Cup fourth round berth. He took the side, in the first game since Alan Irvine's departure, as they demolished League One Colchester United, with the biggest win since the 1966 season.
Jon Parkin grabbed the Lilywhites' first hat-trick in five years as Aidy Boothroyd's U's were brushed aside and Kelly admitted that it has been a positive end to a difficult week.
"It wasn't the easiest of circumstances," he said in the post-match press conference. "The players remained focused and delivered a performance and put us in the hat for the next round.
"It has been a difficult week, but I am delighted for the players and the supporters. It has ended on a positive note and we're in the hat for the next round.
"We said to them 'affect what you can affect' and no one can ask any more that what they put in. They have been very professional the last few days and I think you saw a professional performance today and it is the players who gets 100 per cent credit for it and no one else."
The strikers have been lacking in goals of late, but from the moment of Chris Brown's opener, he and Parkin looked a threat: "They were clinical," added Kelly. "The ball bounced for us as well. Today hit the ball the post and ricocheted off different people, whereas other days it has hit the post and come out.
"They were determined, resilient and professional and set their stall out to win a game of football match and they did that.
"You just felt that they needed one to go in off someone's backside, a ricochet or something like that and I am sure that will kick start them.
"It was a bit unfortunate for Colchester, they caught us on a really good goal today. Things went for us and the clean sheet was important as the goals. The defenders and the team as whole defended really well."
And with the managerial situation still up in the air Robert is just looking at Monday's training: "We'll report for training on Monday and go from there. It will be business as usual. The chairman has been very straight and open to me and asked me to talk training and pick the team today and unless I hear otherwise I'll report for the game on Monday."
He also confirmed the reason for Paul Parry and Billy Jones missing the game: "Paul's knee flared up a little bit and both he and Billy should be alright. Bill had an ankle problem and didn't train yesterday and I spoke to him this morningand it wasn't right. When Billy and Paul aren't right then you know they aren't right, it was safer to leave them."
