THERE was a wonderful moment at the end of a brilliant day when Paul Lambert’s side made their way over to the magnificent blue and white army that had taken over the Bill Shankly Kop.

After soaking up the applause manager, coaches and players were serenaded off the pitch with a rendition of ‘E I E I E I O, up the Football League we go’.

The moment was later shared on social media, leading fans of rival clubs to mock that, after a win in Lambert’s first game in charge, Rovers supporters were already talking up promotion.

But ignore them. They are completely missing the point. The point is that the belief is back.

The belief that after two-and-a-half years of turmoil, and a further two-and-a-half years of stability under Gary Bowyer, Rovers can now kick on under Lambert’s leadership.

The belief that, despite the current Financial Fair Play embargo, and despite the fact there are clubs who are able to spend more money, they can, given time, fight for a place back in the Premier League.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer but, as Lambert has been keen to stress, if the team, club and fans can continue to stick together – and for the first time in five divisive years of Venky’s ownership, there does appear to be unity – then anything is possible.

Being able to grind out victories like this one is also going to be vitally important. Yes it was scrappy at times and, certainly after Joe Garner halved the deficit, it was nerve-jangling.

But give me that any day compared to being the better side and losing like against Burnley last month. Results, as Bowyer found to his cost, are all that matters.

And this was an excellent result.

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Let’s not forget Preston came into the first meeting of the teams since May 2001 on the back of a run of six games unbeaten and six successive clean sheets.

And let’s not forget that new Rovers boss Lambert had only had five days on the training pitch with his new charges.

But you could see they had taken on board his desire to be positive and play the ball forward.

And you could see they had taken on board his desire to play with a tempo and steal the ball from the opposition.

But what was already in place was a sound defensive base and, while top-scorer Jordan Rhodes, as so often is the case, proved to be the match-winner, it was the centre-backs who were the key to Rovers’ success.

Captain Grant Hanley and, in particular, Shane Duffy, were absolutely outstanding.

The only statistic that matters is the final scoreline but for a minute consider Duffy’s figures.

As well as playing a big part in the opening goal the Republic of Ireland international made an incredible 28 clearances, five interceptions and two blocks. Colossal stuff.

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That Duffy and Hanley were so busy owed much to the fact that Rovers, apart from the blissful spell between Rhodes’ ice-cool penalty and Garner’s instinctive finish, never kept hold of the ball for long periods.

That said the Lilywhites were also guilty of losing possession in what was a typically full-blooded derby that did not truly get going until a pulsating second half.

Before the break Jason Steele made his only save of note from former Rover Paul Gallagher before Duffy went close with headers from consecutive Craig Conway corners.

But the deadlock was broken in the 31st minute.

After the post denied Corry Evans and Gallagher cleared Duffy’s follow-up off the line, the ball hit Preston goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and rebounded into the net.

And, after Daniel Johnson curled a free kick inches wide and Conway fired over at the other end, one became two in the 52nd minute when Rhodes converted his ninth goal of the campaign after impressive substitute Chris Taylor was scythed down in the box.

But any thoughts of comfortably seeing the contest out were dashed when Garner, another Rovers old boy, lashed in his first goal of the season.

Preston threw everything forward in search of an equaliser but, aided by some well-timed substitutions from Lambert, they could find no way through the heroic Duffy and Co.

And their frustration boiled over in injury-time when Bailey Wright was shown a second yellow card.

It may have been more than 14 years since Rovers last visited Deepdale and, while that famous night was always going to take some topping, this was most definitely worth the wait.