Preston North End- The Verdict: Ryan Lowe's side showed determination to put things right in the Birmingham victory

There would’ve been a bit of pressure to put things right after the 4-0 loss at Deepdale, but Ryan Lowe’s side showed great character and determination to get the three points.

The players worked hard throughout, and a desire to win was clearly there.

It can be easy for a crushing defeat to lead to a bad run of form, so credit should be given to North End for not allowing that to happen.

It was by no means the perfect performance, and they could’ve managed the game better in some periods, but it was enough to overcome the struggling Blues.

There were plenty of positives to note during the game, with a few individuals in particular standing out.

Robbie Brady was one of them, as he performed superbly on his return to the starting 11 and really led by example.

He looked dangerous going forward, and caused the home side a number of problems.

The opening goal in the 10th minute ultimately came from his persistence to keep the ball alive, before it eventually found its way to Ryan Ledson on the edge of the box, who hit a sweet half-volley past John Ruddy.

It was truly a great finish on his left foot, with plenty of swerve and power behind it.

The second goal for Lowe’s side quickly followed, coming just six minutes after the first.

After his important part in the opener, Brady was on hand once again.

His corner to the front post was met by Alan Browne, who flicked a header across the face of goal and into the net to make it 2-0.

It was certainly a well-worked set piece to put North End in the driving seat.

Browne was another one of the individuals to impress.

He put in a real shift on the right side, providing great support to the back three, as well as the attack.

While his goal was important, so was his second half challenge on Scott Hogan, which stopped the Birmingham striker from releasing a close-ranged effort.

On his first start for the club, Liam Delap was also impressive and provided a lot of positivity going forward.

The Manchester City loanee looked bright and put in a shift throughout his 69 minutes on the pitch.

No doubt, many North End fans are disappointed that Cameron Archer hasn’t returned to the club following his impressive spell last year.

Many were calling for the 21-year-old to return to Deepdale, before he ultimately went to Middlesbrough.

Nonetheless, Delap could prove to have a similar impact to what Archer did last year.

He’s clearly a talented player who has received a fantastic footballing education under Pep Guardiola and his coaches at the Etihad.

He has also already picked up some Championship experience in the first half of the season with Stoke, so has the correct tools to be successful for Lowe’s side.

As he settles more into the side, along with Tom Cannon, the Lilywhites will develop a different kind of attacking edge.

The problem at 2-0 up against Birmingham was creating a substantial chance to add a third.

Ben Woodburn came agonisingly close, with a deflection taking his effort narrowly wide of the post, but other opportunities were scarce.

Birmingham also struggled with the same problems, and failed to properly test the Preston defence for long periods of the game.

They had to wait until the 82nd minute to find the back of the net, which set up a nervy end for the travelling fans.

Lukas Jutkiewicz outjumped Jordan Storey at the back post to head past Freddie Woodman.

The North End defender should’ve really done better, as he was beaten a bit too easily by the Blues striker.

From there, Birmingham pushed hard to get an equaliser, with more long balls into the box.

Their best chance well to Jordan Graham, who fired a first-time volley well over the bar.

Despite ultimately doing it the hard way, North End held on to their 2-1 victory.

They coped well with the pressure at the end to see out the win.

It could’ve been easy, especially after last week, for their heads to drop, but they remained focussed and composed.

The victory means they are now able to fully enjoy the next week, as they prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

It is set to be a great occasion, with the chance of an upset always an exciting prospect.

Saturday’s result also leaves the Lilywhites four points off third place Watford, with spots in the play-offs remaining well and truly up for grabs.

While you can’t read too much into the table at the moment, it’s the kind of season where anything could happen.

There’s no escaping, Birmingham weren’t very good, but you can only beat what is in front of you.

The atmosphere around St Andrew’s wasn’t healthy, with problems seemingly mounting up for the Blues, who find themselves being dragged towards the bottom three.

A final topic that should be mentioned is the piece of history that was made in Saturday’s game.

Referee Rebecca Welch became the first woman to take charge of a men's Championship match.

It seems like a long overdue step, but hopefully now it will become a more common occurrence.

The reaction to the appointment was also good to see, with the majority of the comments on social media being positive and supportive.