North End left back Scott Laird was impressed but not surprised by the character shown by the team to book themselves a place in the Play-Off final at Wembley.
It was exactly seven days prior to the second leg at Deepdale that North End lost out on automatic promotion with defeat to Colchester, but now that is behind them and the boys are in high spirits still with the aim of getting promotion this season.
Speaking to PNE Player, Laird feeels the way this team prepared themselves, both physically and mentally, in the four days after the disappointment ahead of the first leg at Chesterfield,is a testement to the character in the dressing room and amongst the staff.
"We had a good chat after the Colchester game, we all said our piece, said we were feeling and it was a good chat on the way back from that game. The overriding feeling and what the gaffer put into perspective was how quickly football can change.
"Both games [Colchester and Chesterfield second leg] kicked off at the same time and that feeling we felt after the Colchester game, a week later was totally overriden by the feeling that we are progressing to a Play-Off final."
Speaking of the character shown by the team, Laird added: "Not a lot of teams would have been able to do it, I think we've shown that [character] over the last couple of seasons, especially this season with the amount of highs and lows we've had.
"Even in January, we didn't win a game through January and to then go 18 unbeaten and the way we did it was a great test of character mentally as well as physically, to go all the way through those games without losing and get ourselves to this position.
"To go and put in the two performances we have over the two legs, against a very good Chesterfield team, has been brilliant and I think we just need to carry that on into the final."
To hear more from Scott Laird on the trip to Wembley, his previous play-off experiences and more, go to PNE Player by clicking here.