John Smith's PNE Fans' Panel verdict: Making a big leap up the table

The annual event highlights the threats that the amphibians can face to their habitat loss and encourages efforts to ensure their survival.

Similarly a recent downturn in our results and a subsequent slide down the table had threatened the loss of our place in the Championship pond, had it continued on Friday.

However after this 3-1 victory, just like a frog our team had also made a big leap and jumped up from 17th to 12th position in the table.

It was our first home victory over Stoke since 2019 and also one which delighted the Deepdale faithful. It virtually ensured our survival at this level for at least another season and banished any lingering thoughts some pessimistic fans harboured of a possible relegation.

It was a workmanlike team performance full of effort and commitment. We moved the ball in midfield far better than in some of our recent games and there was far more forward passing and plenty of youthful energy coming out of the midfield engine room from two-goal hero Alfie Devine and new signing Andrew Moran, who had another impressive game.

Liam Lindsay was as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar in the middle of our defence. Had Devine not scored his goals he would of been my nomination for man of the match. In my opinion his outstanding performance was reminiscent of many of those when he was an ever present during season 2023-24.

The fighting display in what was a very physical encounter for me was a joy to watch. The grit and determination shown by the team, particularly in making tackles and important blocks, was a massive improvement on some of the lacklustre ones I've watched in recent games.

We also did well to come back into the game soon after going behind to what, at the time, felt like a devastating blow in the opening few minutes. After going in level at the interval the decisive second goal was scored in the early stages of the second half at his favourite end by Town End Titan Milutin Osmajic.

As the ‘Striker from Montenegro’ song was belted out it generated an atmosphere far louder at Deepdale than one of a library, which some of the visitors fans had suggested it was similar to in the first half.

When Devine scored his second goal it was the cue for some of the visitors fans to head back south down the M6.

At this point I wondered if any of their fans who had sung another first-half chant about their belief that North End were as poor as their local rivals Port Vale had realised now that in reality it was not actually true.

As well as the team, the crowd also played their part in helping spur them on to this important victory. In 1984 Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus reached No.3 in the charts with a song containing the lyrics: “Win or lose sink or swim, one thing is certain we never give in, side by side hand in hand, we all stand together.” For me these words perfectly describe how my Friday night match experience had been.

I personally felt better leaving the stadium than I have for a few months. I was also relieved knowing that my blood pressure will now almost certainly be at a far lower level during the remaining seven games of the season.