Ryan Lowe was delighted his side could send the “fantastic” PNE fans home happy this afternoon with a 1-0 victory over Hull City.
The packed away end made themselves heard all game long at the MKM Stadium and they had the best view in the house of Cameron Archer’s 51st-minute goal which proved to be the match-winner.
On the support of the fans, Ryan said: “Credit to the fans and the players, because they’re recognising what the players are doing and our players are recognising what the fans are doing.
“They’re here in their numbers, they’re following us through thick and thin, and we want that to continue.
“They’ve seen a different Preston North End of late in the last nine or ten games whatever it is, and we want that to continue.
“We can’t get too carried away. All I want to do as a manager and my staff is we want to put game plans together for the boys to go and execute, and we want to send fans home happy and that’s certainly what we’re doing at the moment.”
It was an eventful first half in the Championship tie, with both goalkeepers producing top stops inside the opening 45 minutes, while Hull had the woodwork to thank on two occasions.
North End then thought they’d taken the lead in the early stages of the second period, but Alan Browne saw his goal disallowed for handball.
Just two minutes later, though, PNE did have the lead, with Aston Villa loanee Archer scoring his second goal for the club.
“He’s getting better, fitter and stronger every game,” the manager said, about the centre forward. “We got him in and he’s hardly played any games so we do need to make sure he’s right.
“I spoke to Cam and Emil [Riis] today and said to be threats in behind, roll people and just get in between the sticks.
“We work with them on a daily basis finishing, touch finishes and whatnot. I thought his first one which the ‘keeper tipped on to the post was a great effort.
“Then I think it was Ben Whiteman who clipped the ball into him, [he takes a] great touch and the calm composure to put it in the bottom corner was fantastic.
“It was a bit of relief when I saw that go in because sometimes they go against you, sometimes they go for you, but it was a fantastic strike into the bottom corner.”
Saturday’s 1-0 victory means it’s a third clean sheet in a row away from home for North End, and also sees the Lilywhites take four points from their two fixtures on the road this week.
Ryan added: “I said to the group in there before the game we’ve been unlucky. The last couple of performances where we’ve taken just one point, we’ve been unlucky not to win them.
“We had a great performance against West Brom and then the last two we should have won them. I said just find that way, sometimes it’s not always going to be pretty, and today there were some frustrating times.
“I said at half-time it was a frustrating game. They were huffing and puffing a little bit and we were at the top end of the pitch, but when we got there I thought we’d have that little bit of extra quality to finish it off and we certainly did that.
“I’m really pleased with the lads. The resilience they show on a daily basis and the effort and the commitment is different class for me as a manager, and that’s what we’ve got to continue to do.
“It’s a game we’ve won, but we can’t get too carried away. We’ve got to go on to the next one now.
“In this division if you can pick back-to-back wins up it takes you where you want to be so that’s the aim, just keep going, keep doing the right things and look forward to the next one. I thought the lads were fantastic in everything they did today.”
Watch the gaffer's full interview on iFollow PNE.