Paul Lambert delighted after his Blackburn Rovers reign starts with Deepdale derby victory

Preston came into the first meeting of the Lancashire rivals since May 2001 on the back of a six-match unbeaten sequence in which they had kept six successive clean sheets.

But after their 571-minute run without conceding came to an end when keeper Jordan Pickford put through his own goal, Jordan Rhodes scored from the spot to put a seal on their first defeat since October 3.

Joe Garner, who came through the youth ranks at Rovers without ever making a senior appearance, netted his first goal of the season to give the Lilywhites hope.

But Lambert’s side, backed by an inspirational 5,486-strong away support, stood firm to move up to 13th in the Championship table and close the gap on the play-offs to eight points.

“It was excellent and if we hadn’t conceded, then it would have been a perfect game,” said new Rovers boss Lambert, who took over from Gary Bowyer a week ago.

“We played a terrific game of football, there was a great atmosphere in the stadium and we scored two goals against a team that hadn’t conceded in six games. The team deserves so much credit for that.

“We looked threatening every time we went forward.

"I’ve asked the players to do a lot for me. It’s been well documented that we’ve trained a bit differently, which is no slight on Gary (Bowyer) at all, but I have my own way of training, everyone does, and the players have worked ever so hard to master that.

“It will take time to get it to perfection but today is a marker that we can win games.”

Rovers’ opening goal owed a great deal to fortune as the ball rebounded in off Pickford after another Ewood Park old boy, Paul Gallagher, had blocked Shane Duffy’s shot on the ball.

But Lambert marvelled at the build-up to what proved to be the winner as substitute Chris Taylor exchanged passes with Ben Marshall and Adam Henley before being brought down for a penalty which top-scorer Jordan Rhodes converted with customary coolness to make it nine for the season.

“I thought it was a great build-up play with Ben Marshall playing a terrific ball through to Chrissy Taylor and he did great in the penalty box,” said Lambert, who was impressed by the impact Taylor made after coming on for the injured Tom Lawrence.

“He made the lad commit and go to ground and that’s what Chrissy Taylor can do. He can run with the ball.

“It was a definite penalty and if you want anyone standing over a penalty, then it’s Jordan Rhodes.”

Preston piled on the pressure after Garner stuck but Rovers, marshalled superbly by centre-backs Grant Hanley and Duffy, held on.

“I just told the defence in there – defending is your job,” said Lambert.

“And along with young Adam Henley and Markus Olsson, I thought the back four were colossal for us, along with Jason Steele, the goalkeeper.

“They were proper, proper men; proper defenders.”