Happy Alex has that winning feeling after a four-some day

PRESTON have made their boss Alex Neil wait for a second league win of the season – but boy was it worth it.

Second-half goals from Callum Robinson and Paul Gallagher were added to by a Dan Burn own goal – all of which followed an opener from Tom Barkhuizen.

The win was Preston’s first since the first day of the season and Neil said the display could not have been better.

“I was worried until the third and fourth,” said the Scot.

“But if I had needed to write a script for it that would have been it.

“I thought they were good. There are still things we can improve on but it’s more about the points.

“It’s pleasing to get that clean sheet because that has got to be your foundation. Everyone is a hell of a lot happier now and we go forward with more optimism than before.”

Barkhuizen opened the scoring after 17 minutes when his low drive beat Christian Walton, who may feel he could have done a bit better to stop the shot.

Wigan offered little in return and things could have got worse for them just before the break when Cedric Kipre tangled with Lukas Nmecha in the box, but referee Lee Probert was unmoved by the appeals for a penalty.

Neil’s side continued to pile on the pressure after the break and Robinson (above) added a fine second goal minutes after Browne’s powerful drive crashed off the underside of the bar.

Daniel Taylor shaped to shoot from 12 yards to draw in the Wigan defenders before cleverly feeding a pass left to Robinson, who calmly side-footed the ball into the net.

Things got worse for Paul Cook’s side when Darron Gibson was given his marching orders for a foul 10 minutes into the second half. Second-half sub Gallagher added a third from the spot before Burn’s error made it 4-0.

“The best team won the game,” said manager Cook afterwards.

“I have no complaints. Preston deserved the win. “They had more appetite and created more chances. “When you’re not great at both ends of the pitch then this is what happens. “When you’re managing a club like I am and you start with our aspirations, along the way you’re going to get massive disappointments and this is probably the biggest disappointment I’ve had since I started here.

“But we are where we are in the league beause we have had plenty of good days along the way.”