PNE's Tom Barkhuizen reflected on a memorable seven days after bagging a brace this afternoon.
The North End man has had to wait patiently for his first start on home turf for PNE having arrived at the club since November.
However, having scored two goals in his first two starts in the week, Barkhuizen seemed destined to mark his first home start in style, and that he did with two goals in both halves.
The first, a perfectly executed effort into the top corner, whilst the second saw Barkhuizen meet Andy Boyle's knock down rounding off an impressive 3-0 victory over promotion chasing Reading.
After the game, Barkhuizen was understandably in a buoyant mood when he spoke to the club's media channel.
The No. 29 said: "It's nice to get my first goal at Deepdale, then to finish it with a second one and an assist as well as I'm definitely claiming that one!
"It's been a really good day all round but the most important thing is three points and we're now only six points off the Play-Offs.
"If somebody would have told me that I'd have scored four in a week before Fulham I would have laughed in their face but everything seems to be coming together - I'll definitely make the most of it because I know that's not always going to be how it is but it's just a good feeling to get the goals at the moment.
"I think I surprised a few of the lads in the dressing room with my first one, probably surprised myself! I don't tend to score too many goals like that but the second one is just instinct - the cross has come in and I've got my toe on the end of it."
Barkhuizen could have easily have took the matchball home this afternoon, most notably when Daryl Horgan managed to find himself through on goal just before Barkhuizen to grab North End's second, but the former Morecambe man played down his chances of a hat-trick, and instead praised the team as a whole - typifying PNE's all round performance this afternoon.
"I'm not too bothered that he got on the end of it," he continued.
"Obviously it would have been nice to finish it off myself but it's a team game and he managed to roll it into the bottom corner and score which is the main thing; It was nice to be able to show different attributes to my game.
"The whole game plan from back to front today was perfect. We knew they'd try and have a lot of possession and we knew their weaknesses; the whole team was disciplined and we did a perfect job."
However, having scored two goals in his first two starts in the week, Barkhuizen seemed destined to mark his first home start in style, and that he did with two goals in both halves.
The first, a perfectly executed effort into the top corner, whilst the second saw Barkhuizen meet Andy Boyle's knock down rounding off an impressive 3-0 victory over promotion chasing Reading.
After the game, Barkhuizen was understandably in a buoyant mood when he spoke to the club's media channel.
The No. 29 said: "It's nice to get my first goal at Deepdale, then to finish it with a second one and an assist as well as I'm definitely claiming that one!
"It's been a really good day all round but the most important thing is three points and we're now only six points off the Play-Offs.
"If somebody would have told me that I'd have scored four in a week before Fulham I would have laughed in their face but everything seems to be coming together - I'll definitely make the most of it because I know that's not always going to be how it is but it's just a good feeling to get the goals at the moment.
"I think I surprised a few of the lads in the dressing room with my first one, probably surprised myself! I don't tend to score too many goals like that but the second one is just instinct - the cross has come in and I've got my toe on the end of it."
Barkhuizen could have easily have took the matchball home this afternoon, most notably when Daryl Horgan managed to find himself through on goal just before Barkhuizen to grab North End's second, but the former Morecambe man played down his chances of a hat-trick, and instead praised the team as a whole - typifying PNE's all round performance this afternoon.
"I'm not too bothered that he got on the end of it," he continued.
"Obviously it would have been nice to finish it off myself but it's a team game and he managed to roll it into the bottom corner and score which is the main thing; It was nice to be able to show different attributes to my game.
"The whole game plan from back to front today was perfect. We knew they'd try and have a lot of possession and we knew their weaknesses; the whole team was disciplined and we did a perfect job."