A brace from Will Keane against Stoke City secured a fourth successive victory to send Preston North End to the top of the Sky Bet Championship table.

After a goalless first period, half-time substitute Duane Holmes earned PNE an early second-half penalty which Keane stepped up to smash down the middle.

US international Holmes then squared the ball six minutes later for Keane to score his fourth goal of the season, and North End defended superbly to hold on to the three points.

Ryan Lowe made two changes from the victory over Swansea City last weekend, as Jack Whatmough came in for his first league start for the club, while Ali McCann returned to the starting XI.

The Potters arguably made the better start to the match, without really causing any problems, before North End settled and started to see plenty of the ball.

It was Alan Browne who had the first chance of note for either side on 17 minutes as he tried his luck with his left foot from 20 yards. The skipper’s effort took a deflection which looked as though it might help the ball sneak in at the near post, but goalkeeper Mark Travers did well to reach it and parry away from goal.

Travers came up with an even better stop later in the half when he spared the blushes of Enda Stevens, whose touch while facing his own goal would have inadvertently given North End the lead, and the Irish defender then reacted to block Keane’s rebound strike.

PNE opted to make a half-time change which almost instantly paid dividends as substitute Holmes found Keane inside the opening minute of the second period, and the Irishman fired a low shot a matter of inches wide.

Holmes was causing all sorts of problems and his skill drew a foul inside the penalty area from Burger to earn his side a penalty, and Keane stepped up to confidently fire straight down the middle.

North End then found a second just six minutes later when Potts played a superb ball behind the defence for Holmes to run on to and he selflessly squared for Keane who tapped home for his second of the day – sending the packed-out away end into raptures.

Alex Neil’s side inevitably looked for a reaction and made a triple change, but PNE were still limiting them to very little. In fact it wasn’t until the 77^th minute when Freddie Woodman was called into meaningful action, as he denied Tyrese Campbell’s effort.

Stoke kept sending the ball forward as they threw everything at North End, but the visitors defended brilliantly to maintain the clean sheet and extend their impressive start to the Championship campaign.

Stoke City line-up: Travers; Hoever (Gooch, 62), McNally (Rose, 62), Wilmot, Stevens; Burger (Jojić, 90), Pearson (Johnson, 62); Léris (Junho, 71), Laurent, Campbell; Wesley. Subs not used: Bonham, Gayle, Thompson, Sidibe.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Whatmough (Cunningham, 83), Lindsay; Potts, McCann, Ledson, Hughes; Browne, Frøkjær (Holmes, 45); Keane (Woodburn, 88). Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Rodriguez-Gentile, Best, Mawene, Seary.

Attendance: 22,957 (2,586 PNE fans)

Referee: Mr M Donohue.