Manager Darren Ferguson was delighted for his players after their opening win of the season, a 1-0 triumph over Steve Cotterill's Portsmouth. The North End gaffer saw his side carve out a number of openings and perhaps their performance deserved more than the 1-0 scoreline, but overall he was delighted to put three points on the board.
"It was a very good three points for us and I'm delighted for the players," he said afterwards. "People have been very quick to write us off, but it was only two games and there was no panicking. We have a great bunch of lads and I'm please for them.
"I can't be disappointed with that display or at all critical of my team. They were excellent; the clean sheet was a bonus for us. We had a lot of chances. We had to improve in both boxes and I felt we did that. We spoke about starting with a tempo and we feel that we have good energies and good pace in the team in the right areas and I felt if we started well then it could be a good day.
"We took our foot off the pedal after about 20 minutes and didn't play with the same urgency, but in the second half we dug in and ground the result out. Everyone wanted that second goal to kill the game off and on numerous occasions we could have got it; but it was a very pleasing day.
Ferguson was able to select from a bigger squad on the day, with centre half Sean St. Ledger fit again and he felt that the PNE No.4's return was a real fillip: "Our concentration was good and they didn't really open us up. Sean being back was a massive bonus for us. When he is playing well there is no-one better in the league - he was excellent today.
"When he's playing well, he's the best defender in the league. When he's at it, he's the best defender in the league and I feel I have the best centre half and goalkeeper in the league.
"Sean wants to play every game, but I can't risk muscle injuries. If he had done it again last week he could have been out for eight weeks. He wanted to play last week, he was disappointed, but he understood and I thought he was excellent today."
The George Banks Jewellers' man of the match on the day went to young Manchester United loanee Joshue King and the manager revealed that he hopes to extend the youngster's youth loan for the whole season.
"He's a threat because he's got raw pace and he's physically strong enough to cope with the league. Against two experienced centre halves, at times today they couldn't live with him. Every chance he had was on his left side, his weaker side, but I though him and Hayes were an excellent partnership.
"I thought that was Hayesie's best game for us, because he's used to playing with a bit of pace in front of him and that allows him to come into areas between their lines. I thought those two looked good together.
"It was well-publicised I wanted a striker with pace. It was always going to be a young one as you can't get experience and pace, it costs too much money, but the big thing about Josh is that he's going to be physically strong enough to cope with the Championship. It's a youth loan, so it's quite open-ended - we've said it is for three months at the moment, but I am confident we can do it for the whole season and this is something I'd be looking to do.
"Even in the last minute he used his pace to win a throw in and he keeps you in the game all the time - it is something we've needed."
And with three points now in the bag the PNE boss was happy to tell those writing his team off that within the camp they had not yet thrown in the towel! "I think some people were pressing the panic button because we'd lost two games and losing 4-0 to Swansea isn't good enough - the players knew that - but I felt we should have got a result against Doncaster, so there was no panic.
"It was important to get the result today and the manner we did it, we got a reaction and a response from the players today and I'm really pleased for the lads, they're a good bunch and I'm delighted for them.
"I said in my programme notes that the key to doing well this season is our senior players helping the young lads, and I have got good senior players here and they will be key to it."
