John Smith's PNE Fans' Panel verdict: It was game-over at half time

We did not have to wait that late this time to secure the points with the game all but boxed off after two clinical first-half strikes from Emil Riis and Ben Whiteman.

The first of the two was a welcome first goal from Riis since his long-term injury just over a year ago and hopefully it will be the first of many to come from him during our end-of-season run-in.

Following this win we have now taken 10 points since the five games since our New Year’s Day capitulation at Sunderland.

And should this form continue over our 15 remaining league games, a points haul of 75 would undoubtedly see our team in a play-off place.

And that is something which I had certainly thought would be well out of our reach, particularly after the woeful pre-Christmas home defeats to Saturday's opponents Cardiff City, and Queens Park Rangers.

The Welsh Dragons of Cardiff failed to breathe any fire throughout the whole game and I personally thought that they were one of the poorest sides I have seen this season.

Also the game may as well of been played in outer space such was the lack of atmosphere and enthusiasm of the home crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium.

However you can only beat what is put in front of you and after our two first-half goals, we were comfortably in the driving seat easily managing to see the game out without ever looking in danger of surrendering our lead.

While our performance was not quite a magic one of Paul Daniels proportions it certainly was a solid one in which we firmly managed to execute the game plan.

Using the late magician’s catchphrase of "You’ll like this – not a lot but you’ll like it" quite accurately sums up my feelings of this clinical win in which we converted two of our three shots on target into goals, in order to reap the reward of three very good points on the road.