‘Job done’ says Liam Lindsay who salutes stand-in Preston North End boss Frankie McAvoy

Alan Browne’s second-half penalty was the only goal of the game against Coventry City at St Andrews.

It was a difficult day for flowing football as the surface in the Midlands was liable to throw up a few surprises.

Both sides had chances in the game and PNE should arguably have had two penalties, with Ched Evans felled by Sky Blues keeper Ben Wilson.

“I don’t think it was a great spectacle,” Lindsay said.

“I don’t think the pitch helped, I’m not sure what it looked like from the stands or on the TV but it wasn’t great to play football on – which meant it wasn’t a great spectacle.

“We’ll take the three points and the clean sheet all day.

“That’s what you get paid to do – to defend – but I don’t think it was just the defence that defended well, I think the whole team did.

“That’s what’s been happening as well, that’s how we’ve been keeping the clean sheets.

“The whole team does a job and we reap the benefits of it as a defence keeping the clean sheets. 

“The striker on their team couldn’t believe we didn’t get the first penalty either.

“We got the second one in the end and we got the win, Browne sorted it so it’s a good day all round.”

The victory made it 11 points from a possible 18 for Frankie McAvoy as interim head coach and Lindsay was full of praise for his countryman.

The on-loan centre back was a part of an influx of January signings and feels it has taken time for the team to gel.

He said: “Before the game, from the outside looking in you probably thought we were safe but we had to do it.

“Frankie made it clear that we had to do it mathematically. We went out and got the three points – happy days!

“He’s relaxed us a little bit and we’ve come together as a squad. At the start there were a lot of us that were new – it takes time to bond.

“We’ve got used to each other now, gone on a good run and bonded a little bit more. 

“Before the game he’s relaxed, I’m not sure he’s relaxed during it but we knew him from before as well, so that’s kept it calm.”