Verdict - Preston North End got it spot on against Swansea City in tactical masterclass

It was the second test of its kind this season, the Swans, alongside Burnley, are known for a heavy possession based style of football and teams must be prepared to do plenty of work off the ball if they are to be victorious.

PNE have taken four points from those two sides - one of which is currently top of the league and the other occupying a play-off place.

In fact, had North End scored a second, which they could easily have done in the first half, they would have usurped the Swans and gone into the final play-off spot.

Brad Potts scored the only goal of the game in the first half, the wing back getting forward to turn home Ched Evans' saved shot.

It was a more advanced role for Potts, with Lowe switching back to a 3-5-2 from the 4-3-3 that he played in the 2-1 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday.

It was Potts' first goal in 13 games and it was no more than PNE deserved for the way they got on top of the Swans.

Initially they seemed keen to sit deep and watch the visitors play in front of them but that soon switched to jumping on them as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

North End were keen for the ball not to come through them but as soon as the ball was forced wide, either to a wider central midfielder or centre half, they swarmed.

The Lilywhites were irrepressible as they went in search of the ball, Russell Martin's side unable to cope with the intensity of the press and the intelligence in the space that they covered, occupied and forced the away side into.

It was a tactical masterclass and fantastic to watch, particularly in the first half. It was North End at their best, it was a similar sight to what has been seen before this season, but less so lately.

In the second half they relied more on their grit and their willingness to work for each other and for the team.

There is an element of risk to that approach, it takes only a ricochet or a moment of magic and the fantastic first half is for nought - or for one rather than three - but it has paid off on multiple occasions so far this season.

Away from the action on the pitch, it was vitally important to win at Deepdale again. It was the first time that North End had tasted success twice in a row in PR1 this campaign.

It's been a long time coming but two good performances at home show signs of form developing at Deepdale and with attendances so far this season, giving the fans something to cheer about can go a long way to securing results - as was seen on Tuesday.

The big players turned up for Lowe on the night, Alan Browne, Robbie Brady, Ched Evans - a big call to make coming back into the XI - and Emil Riis all played their part.

North End's best back three were reunited as well, for the first time since September 17. They picked up another clean sheet, their 11th of the season, a stunning record.

Now it's onto Friday. It's a quick turnaround before a trip to Reading in front of the cameras. Nine points in just six days is transformative, particularly in the Championship this season.