Frankie McAvoy delighted with 'excellent' PNE after Swansea City win

The Lilywhites fell behind in the game, through Joel Piroe's goal, but responded just two minutes later with Sepp van den Berg's second goal in as many games. Ben Whiteman scored a second half free kick to give PNE breathing room in a dominant second half display.

It was another entertaining clash at Deepdale, with McAvoy's side attack-minded and positive.

The North End head coach admitted his side didn't have the best of starts and felt the visitors opened the game the better of the two, but was delighted with the response of his charges.

He told the Lancashire Post: "It was a tough game, I thought for the first 20 minutes Swansea started better than us.

"I don't think we got our press as good as I thought we could do it.

"They will play the ball, they'll risk it, their goalkeeper is involved and you just need to make sure that you get the press right.

"We worked on it and then eventually, when they went 1-0 up, we started to get the press right and we started to nick the ball high up the pitch.

"Which I was hoping we would do from kick off but we did start bright, we got a chance straight away.

"Once they scored I have to give credit to the players, I thought they were excellent.

"In terms of harassing, making it difficult for Swansea to play and not giving them many opportunities. Getting the goals makes a big difference.

"We scored straight away after they scored which is pleasing, Sepp, again. He's making a habit of it which is brilliant.

"The second goal from Emil was fantastic."

There was a contentious moment in the first half, as Emil Riis was brought down by Joel Latibeaudiere after getting goal side of the defender.

Referee Thomas Bramall, who endured a difficult afternoon, waved away the appeals.

McAvoy felt his side should have had the spot kick but was not critical of the man with the whistle, instead he was pleased with how his side implemented what he had asked fo them.

He said: "I thought we should have had a penalty, when we broke down our left hand channel with Emil being played in.

"But the officials only get one bite at the cherry, sometimes they don't get it right.

"I thought it was a penalty kick but their response was magic.

"We had a good chat with them, in the second half, I felt how we pressed and harrassed was excellent.

"It was everything we worked on and everything we tried to do.

"We created quite a number of chances again and in the second half we hardly gave Swansea a chance, so as a coach I was delighted with that."

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