Manager Simon Grayson was delighted his side got what they deserved, eventually, after being frustrated for almost 90 minutes by Notts County.
The Magpies almost snatched the points after taking the lead seven minutes into the second half from loanee Jake Cassidy, but who else but Joe Garner was on hand to give the Lilywhites an opening day point.
Garner lashed home from the edge of the box in the 89th minute despite the time-wasting and tactics of the visitors and afterwards the gaffer admitted it has been a day where the blood was almost boiling.
“It was a frustrating afternoon for us,” he said. “I thought we played very well in the first half; we passed it around really well and created some really good chances. One or two things didn’t quite drop for us and Roy Carroll was in inspired form, but by the time half-time came around the game could quite easily have been all over.
“They got the goal early in the second half and it gave them something to hold on to.
“They came here with the tactics of trying to disrupt us; a bit of time-wasting all the way through and I can’t blame them for that, it is part and parcel of the game of football.
“Maybe the officials could stamped down on it earlier and the goal rocked us a little bit, but we hung in there.
“When you see two or three players going down and the referee having to stop the game, which the players miraculously get up from it is a little bit frustrating, but we have to deal with that.
“We can’t fall into the trap of playing slow football against teams, we have to move the ball quickly. I thought we did that first half, but in the second half they got a goal to hang onto.”
Despite that PNE got their rewards through hard work: “We showed a lot of character and desire to get back into it and ultimately to nick a draw out of it,” continued Simon.
“Joe [Garner] will be a bit battered and bruised, but he is a brave lad and was in the right place at the right time. If you want anybody in that position with two minutes to go, then Joe Garner is your man.
“I was delighted to see it hit the back of the net and I thought we deserved it.”
Garner lashed home from the edge of the box in the 89th minute despite the time-wasting and tactics of the visitors and afterwards the gaffer admitted it has been a day where the blood was almost boiling.
“It was a frustrating afternoon for us,” he said. “I thought we played very well in the first half; we passed it around really well and created some really good chances. One or two things didn’t quite drop for us and Roy Carroll was in inspired form, but by the time half-time came around the game could quite easily have been all over.
“They got the goal early in the second half and it gave them something to hold on to.
“They came here with the tactics of trying to disrupt us; a bit of time-wasting all the way through and I can’t blame them for that, it is part and parcel of the game of football.
“Maybe the officials could stamped down on it earlier and the goal rocked us a little bit, but we hung in there.
“When you see two or three players going down and the referee having to stop the game, which the players miraculously get up from it is a little bit frustrating, but we have to deal with that.
“We can’t fall into the trap of playing slow football against teams, we have to move the ball quickly. I thought we did that first half, but in the second half they got a goal to hang onto.”
Despite that PNE got their rewards through hard work: “We showed a lot of character and desire to get back into it and ultimately to nick a draw out of it,” continued Simon.
“Joe [Garner] will be a bit battered and bruised, but he is a brave lad and was in the right place at the right time. If you want anybody in that position with two minutes to go, then Joe Garner is your man.
“I was delighted to see it hit the back of the net and I thought we deserved it.”