Preston manager Ryan Lowe was delighted by his side’s 1-0 win over Hull at the MKM Stadium, paying tribute to his players’ efforts after the game.
North End hit a post in the first half and had chances cleared off the line too, as well as a goal disallowed for handball, but Cameron Archer scored the winning goal early in the second half.
“It was a frustrating first half, and it was a decent game. It was end to end,” he said.
“They stuck to the plan and followed it. It’s a tough place to come, but we’ve been playing some good stuff as well. It’s been a tough week and I’m pleased.
“My heart was in my mouth at times, but the boys put their bodies on the lines. We just needed that little bit more calmness.”
Lowe was impressed with Aston Villa loanee Archer and is convinced there is more to come from the forward.
“He’s a fantastic player,” Lowe added. “He was brought here to score goals. We know he’s not 100 per cent today but he’s a fantastic talent. We have to keep working with him to keep improving him, he’s not our player, he’s a loan player.”
Lowe also praised the other side of Preston’s game, showing defensive solidity to keep Hull at bay.
“Foundations are built on clean sheets,” he said. “Ultimately you have to be solid and resolute. The boys have been fantastic.
“We wanted to take the shackles off the boys, and I want to play the style I want to play. We’re in good form but we’re not going to get carried away.”
Lowe is also keeping his feet firmly on the ground, despite his side’s good run.
“We just look at the next game,” he added. “If you get back-to-back wins in the Championship, it gets you up there. All we can do is look to the next one.
“If we need to freshen up, we’ll do it. It’s for the sake of the lads that we do that.”
The North End boss was frustrated by the disallowed goal, but felt it gave his side confidence.
“I don’t know what handball is these days. I think the goal should have counted, but even you lot probably don’t know!” Lowe said.
In contrast, Hull’s new head coach Shota Arveladze was left disappointed by a defeat that ended the Tigers’ winning run since Acun Ilicali came in as the club’s new owner last month.
Tom Eaves had two efforts denied – one by goalkeeper Daniel Iversen and the other by the linesman’s flag as Hull drew a blank for the first time in four matches.
“I think for every manager it is not easy to lose this way, but the next game is very soon. That is the most important to get that right,” said the Georgian.
He was quick to admit Preston’s change in midfield was where the game was lost and admitted his side needed to do more.
“We lost the extra man in midfield when they made the change and we could have done more when we had the ball,” Arveladze said. “We were not at the top level. Second half we started this way, and we were trying to find the best way to attack, but we could not do it.”
Hull have a tough schedule coming up and Arveladze admitted he has some big decisions to make with Derby away on Tuesday night.
“I need to see which players understand the game better,” he said. “Every game will give us a clear picture of this, and I have to act on this in training sessions.
“We had a tough afternoon – we need to take a shower and have a nice coffee. Then we can start to think about the next game.”
