The summer signing from Aberdeen set Preston on the road to their third straight win of the new season with a strike which cannoned in off the back of Palace keeper Julian Speroni.

The 29-year-old was quick to claim the goal, insisting: "It's got to be mine, surely."

But then he confessed he faces a worrying time wondering if the authorities will snatch it off him and declare it an own goal.

"I'm definitely claiming it," he said. "I don't really know what happened, I hit it and I just saw the ball end up in the net. So that's good enough for me.

"If anyone wants to try to take it off me then so be it. But hopefully it will be my goal."

Click the play button above to hear from Alan Irvine, Barry Nicholson and a fuming Neil Warnock following Saturday's game.

Manager Alan Irvine joked: "The rest of the lads are all telling Barry it is going down as an own goal, but I don't think he is agreeing with that."

Whether Nicholson or Speroni, the outcome was still the same. Stubborn Palace were finally breached just before the hour mark and North End were left to mop up victory and celebrate their best start since 1999.

Joint top of the table – second only on alphabetical order – is a fine sight after the struggles of last season at the other end of the Championship.

All right, it is only two wins in the league and one in the Carling Cup. But the mood inside and outside a newly-completed Deepdale right now is something to savour.

Preston deserved to claim all three points, although visiting boss Neil Warnock could not bring himself to admit it.

Having seen a worthy penalty shout ignored with the score at 1-0, the Palace manager felt hard-done-by and left the stadium an angry man after berating the match officials.

"It may have been a penalty," said Nicholson. "But it's the old story, some you get and some you don't I suppose.

"They will be aggrieved they didn't get it, but I think we were worthy winners."

The Londoners arrived with a game plan designed to frustrate their hosts.

Five across the middle and only Jamie Scowcroft up front on his own meant Warnock's men tried to squeeze the life out of PNE's passing machine.

Had Sean St Ledger's shot not been kicked off the line by Danny Butterfield after just 12 minutes, then Palace would have had to abandon their 4-5-1 in favour of a more attacking formation and we could all have enjoyed a more open and entertaining game.

As it was the shackles only came off once Nicholson had broken the deadlock after 58 minutes.

Nicholson said: "Palace are a well-organised team, but we knew what to expect and we prepared with the exact system they play.

"The manager said we would have to be patient and that's how it turned out.

"I think if we had scored in the first half it may have made it a
little bit easier. But we missed a couple of chances.

"It took a bit of time to get the goal. Then I think we lacked a bit of concentration for a while and let them back in a little bit where we should have gone on and killed the game.

"But then Chappie sealed the points with a great finish and we ran out deserved winners.

"Three wins out of three is the perfect start. But there is still room for improvement – we aren't world-beaters by any means."

For full match reaction, pick up a copy of Monday's Lancashire Evening Post.

>> Match report: PNE 2 Crystal Palace 0