PRESTON North End manager Simon Grayson believes that his side overcame a tough test by beating Burton Albion 1-0 at the Pirelli Stadium.
He also thought his side did especially well with his Lilywhites having played just two days before their first game of 2017.
The win, which took Preston into the top-half of the Championship table, came as Grayson’s men withstood numerous spells of pressure from the Brewers, with Lucas Akins and Marvin Sordell going close in the second half.
Grayson was pleased to see his team win against a Burton side with a good home record, despite Nigel Clough’s men having now lost their last three games at the Pirelli Stadium.
“You know you are coming to the Pirelli Stadium and it is going to be a tough game, they (Burton) have a real good record here, they have played very well against the top teams and most of their wins have come here, so we knew it was going to be a tough game.
“Given that we had only played on Saturday and they had played on Thursday, we knew that we had to be at it to win the game. I thought it was a real professional performance, it wasn’t free-flowing football, the pitch was a bit lively at times but, ultimately, we have had a really professional performance from individuals and collectively as a team.”