Manager Darren Ferguson was looking upwards after his side collected their second win of the week thanks to substitute Neill Collins' header and a sublime finish from on loan striker Danny Welbeck, as the Lilywhites recorded a 2-0 triumph over Roy Keane's in form Ipswich Town at Deepdale.

"It was a big three points," said the gaffer. "We upped it a bit in the second half and we played with a better tempo and an intensity, but the first half was nowhere near good enough or near the tempo we wanted to play at. I was desperate to get to half-time and it was a great response from the players and a good win.

"Back to back wins are important, because if you do that you move up the league. If we win on Tuesday we are three points off the Play-Offs and that's the challenge.

"We've moved up the table and I said to the players before the game that the challenge is the Play-Offs and if we win on Tuesday we are three points out of it.

"I'm a positive person, I am not the sort of person to come in and say 'if we finish in mid-table its alright'; I wouldn't be happy with that. I have stressed that to the players and I think you have to get that mentality over to them. As the manager you have to install that into them and not be looking down, but looking up.

"We knew this week was a big one. We knew that if we got three wins out of three we would we sniffing around the Play-Offs and that is where we want to be. We are two-thirds of the way there with another hard game on Tuesday, but if we were to get that win then we would be three points out of the Play-Offs, that's fact. It is going to be difficult, but that's where we want to be.

"I still think some of the lads are lacking in confidence. We are trying to pass the ball around, but today the pitch was bobbly, because it was a bit frozen in areas - when you're at home and chasing the game this is a bit difficult, but in the second half we were much better because we went on the front foot. We played at a tempo and we got around them and Danny Welbeck's second goal was an absolutely magnificent goal.

"It is a big win, there is no taking away from that. There are lots of areas we need to improve on, but it is a big win because they have only lost one in 15, so Roy has got them going. Any win in this league is a good win, it is a really hard league, but we have got two clean sheets on the bounce and I am really pleased with that… it is a big game now on Tuesday.

"In a way you maybe first look over your shoulder, but we are only looking up. We have to be positive; we have some good players, we are a good team. In the first half Ipswich were the better team, but in the second half we were in the ascendency and I was pleased with the result."

Looking at the goals the first was an inspired substitution from the manager and the second was a bit of class from the Manchester United man: "We had to change it with Neill, because Youl was struggling a little bit in terms of when we had possession. I wanted to get Sean on the right side, so he could come out a little bit more and it was an added bonus that he went up and scored.

"You may call [Danny's goal] cheeky, but it was one hell of a finish. He showed great composure. You'd pay just to see that - what a magnificent finish! He was probably about the only person in the ground who'd seen it and it is one thing seeing it and another achieving it and he did it.

"We can't put too much responsibility on his shoulders. He's only 19, he hasn't been out on loan before; it's a hard league to come in to and he had some experienced defenders playing against him today who know the game, but he will grow in confidence with that. We have to get an understanding with him as well, I don't think we've been used to strikers running through and the pace he's got his team-mates have got to get used to that. We've done a lot of work on it and we'll do more work on it and the finish was absolutely magnificent. That will kick him on, I am sure, as soon as he scored you saw the shackles come off him a little bit."

The manager has said since he arrived that he wants his side to be entertainers and he was frank and honest that the team had not lived up to his own high expectations in the first half.

"The first half was a practice match, I was bored to tears, we had no tempo - the players know it wasn't good enough, but in the second half we looked the better team. We had much more of a threat, were on the front foot, which we had to be and in the end I think we deserved the win.

"The punters, quite rightly, were moaning and groaning a little bit. You pay to come in at home and you want to see tackles, you want to see passing. We have to get the fans off their seats and in the first half they would have been bored; we don't want that, but in the second half we got a good response from the lads and I was pleased with them. I was delighted with the win."

The only change to the 18 that had triumphed at Peterborough in the week saw Eddie Nolan came in for the concussed Callum Davidson and the manager was impressed by the Irish international's display.

"Eddie played the first game at Bristol at right back and I have left him out since, but it is a squad game and I said to him go and 'prove me wrong'. There was an opportunity there for him and I thought he did well.

"I know he has played there before and in the first half he was one of our better players. Cal has been dizzy the last couple of days. We will see tomorrow [Sunday] how he is, but I was please with Eddie, he came in and did a fine job."

He also handed the captaincy to Eddie's fellow countryman, Sean St. Ledger, and admitted that despite continuing speculation linking him with a move to the SPL, he was not someone he was looking to lose before the closing of the transfer window on Monday; in fact if anything he is hopeful that there will be new faces to join Ledge and Co.

"The situation hasn't changed since last week. Celtic are a million miles away and as the manager there is no way I want the boy to leave.

"He is one of the best defenders in the league; he's happy and Celtic need to stop messing about, they need to bid what he's worth or end it. The deal done with Middlesbrough was £4.5m, it's irrelevant to Celtic what loan fee we got for Sean it doesn't come into it.

"The lad's a good player and we don't want to have to try and replace him.

"I am hopeful of getting one or two in, we need it. We need to freshen the place up with some new faces and the chairman and I have been busy. We have to get the right characters, because the dressing room is good - it is important we do that.

"This week has been a good one so far; if we can get the win against Barnsley it will be three wins in the bounce it will make a big difference.

"My feet are under the table now. The last two games I've felt that I'm in the building and ready to go and if they show me the tempo and intensity of the second half then we'll be fine."