BROWNE’S A PAIN IN THE PAST

IRELAND midfielder Alan Browne looks set to break through a “double pain barrier” that has loomed large for him this season.

His personal pain is from an injured shoulder that ruled him out of recent Internationals, but which did not stop him starring in Preston’s rout of Blackburn.

His other pain was caused by Preston’s terrible start to the season when were bottom of the Championship having been just short of promotion last campaign.

That pain looks to be in the past after an eighth consecutive game unbeaten, Browne playing a starring role in transferring the agony to Rovers.

The 23-year-old provided the passes for two Preston goals in the first 10 minutes, and scored his side’s last after Louis Moult grabbed their third.

Man-of-the-match Browne said: “I’m delighted, both for myself and for the team.

“We’re looking upwards now, after our good run. But we realise there’s still a long way to go.

“We face Middlesbrough at Deepdale on Tuesday and there’s a lot of physicality there, with them having a big, strong outfit and approach. It’s a different kind of test, but we’re capable of dealing with it.”

Browne added: “We dealt with the bad start to the season without panicking, and that shows our approach. We regrouped, expressed ourselves, and got the results. Now we move on.”

Danny Graham was Blackburn’s scorer and boss Tony Mowbray said: “We have to be better than that.”