Tim Mercer's PNE Fans' Panel: Subs change the game for a rare home win

For once this was early enough to influence the stalemate before us and left this fan wondering why Lowe had made the odd decision to drop Ched Evans to the bench in the first place.

Evans made an immediate impact, unsettling otherwise comfortable defenders and, just as importantly, giving some breathing space for Everton loanee Tom Cannon up top alongside him.

Why Lowe chose Cannon to partner fellow youngster and Tottenham loanee Troy Parrott from the start was a mystery to those around me.

Is it not asking a lot at this level for both inexperienced frontmen to be up against seasoned-hardened defenders, who take no prisoners, when there is a fit and experienced striker on the bench?

Of course, we don’t know if Evans was carrying a niggle and will have to leave that as an open question.

For me, it is Cannon who has the sniff of a killer instinct about him as he continues to improve and, indeed, scored the opening goal shortly after Evans had replaced Parrott.

It must also be said that Preston had relied on keeper Freddie Woodman for keeping it goalless to that point, including a stunning save only five minutes before the opener and a sponsor’s man-of-the-match award by time of the final whistle.

Woodman also survived an early scare that needed over five minutes of treatment when bravely rushing out in the opening minutes to stop an almost certain goal.

As for that first half, it was the usual lack of cutting edge and frustration for all that made the cold, northerly wind bite harder as we all tried to keep the ice at bay from our hands and feet.

In my early days, openly carrying a hip flask to take the warming comfort of a dram was neither illegal nor a problem; but times have moved on and I had to stamp my feet harder!

The killer second goal in stoppage time came courtesy of Cannon latching on to a mistake in the visiting defence that led to their keeper being sent off as his only option to prevent Cannon scoring was to bring him down with a high footed challenge.

Bizarrely, this was the Bluebird’s reserve keeper due to their first-choice keeper being shown red late on in their previous match. The resultant free-kick from just outside the area was parried by the third-choice keeper, but only into the path of a grateful Evans, who duly slotted home.

Two tough away matches next, including Gentry Day next Saturday against in-form Middlesbrough that follows the midweek trip to a relegation-threatened Rotherham.