Andy Moran's 93rd minute moment vs Saints typified his unreal Preston performance and should solidify his spot

It’s the 93rd minute. For the past 46, since Liam Lindsay headed into Thierry Small’s path and he squandered a golden chance, Preston North End have not left their own half. Almost literally.

They have made just 24 passes in Southampton’s half since then; that’s just 0.52 passes per minute. They are up against the ropes but, for the first time under Graham Alexander, the Preston chins are holding firm. They're rolling with the punches.

But it’s been a gruelling half at the end of a gruelling week. The players, understandably so after such dogged, determined and draining work, are running on fumes. Drawing the last vestiges of their remarkable energy reserves to hold on.

They’re out on their feet. ‘Out of a bit of juice,’ as Alexander said afterwards. All of them, it seems, except one.

Because even after 93 minutes of bombing it all over the pitch, Andy Moran still has energy to burn.

He’s about 35 yards out from North End’s goal line and he cuts out Fin Azaz’s pass. Now, he’s off.

The ball is loose and he reaches it first. He powers through the gap and blasts past Azaz, the Deepdale roar spurs him on into the space.

Even now. After so much running. So much work. So much exertion. Moran has presence of mind, he looks up, he sees the support. He doesn’t pass. The time isn’t quite right. He goes on, completes a sixty-yard-plus sprint to the edge of the box. Now, he plays the ball right to Delano Burgzorg.

The Dutchman’s touch fashions a yard of space, but his shot is blocked for a corner. Moran goes down on his haunches. Who can blame him?

But his work is done. There are less than three minutes remaining and Moran has relieved the pressure for some precious seconds. The defence holds. The full-time whistle blows. Preston win.

For him to still be running at such full pelt at that stage of the game was sensation in and of itself, but to also still have the composure and skill to pick out the right pass typified Moran’s unreal performance in a pivotal victory.

Andy Moran has earned starting spot in Graham Alexander's team

Moran was fantastic throughout the entire match, even though each half required vastly different contributions.

The 23-year-old played a deeper role than usual as he was moved into the midfield two with Leo Leroy suspended, but with match-winner Jordan Thompson mostly sitting in front of the defence, Moran had licence to push on in a first half in which Preston played on the front foot and dominated.

Not only did they create chances by winning the ball high up and transitioning quickly but, for the first time under Alexander, with recognisable patterns of attacking play, too.

Callum Lang, Alfie Devine and Thierry Small's fluid movement drew out the Saints back-line, with Small's targeted pace constantly worrying them about getting caught in behind. The wing-backs provided overloads on the flanks, and Moran was able to pick up spaces coming from deep.

Moran was at the centre of everything. Playing a part in practically every attacking move.

He registered five shots in the first half alone, more than any Preston player and equal to any Saints player over the 90 minutes. Clipping the crossbar with one effort, while another was blocked but fell perfectly for Thompson to smash home what proved to be the decisive goal.

Moran also made the most passes, key passes and ball touches amongst Preston's players, with so much of the play going through him. He lofted the ball into the box that led to Small’s chance just after the break and, at one point, he picked the ball up in midfield, jinked into space and then pinged a 50-yard inch-perfect pas right onto Andrija Vukcevic’s toe. Quality.

In the second 45, North End were pushed back by a very talented team. There’s no shame in that, it’s how you deal with it. This time, Preston stood strong and held firm. They repelled attack after attack, won big aerial duels, threw themselves at thunderous shots and made crucial challenges.

Saints may have had 20 attempts and a staggering 89 per cent of the ball in the second half, but they weren’t able to create many - if any, really - clear-cut chances which you felt they had to score, owed to the defending.

When they did manage to find the target, Lee Nicholls was equal to every shot he faced, but he only had to make one great save, from a rasping 30-yard drive by Wellington.

Liam Lindsay deserves a special mention, with 11 clearances, three blocks and two interceptions in a towering display but, at every turn, there was Moran, too. Pitching in with the dirty work by closing down, winning the ball back and relieving pressure.

No one's heat map encompassed more of the pitch. Moran was everywhere and involved in everything.

A performance like that had been coming. He was fantastic off the bench in the draw with West Brom and the brightest starter in the defeat to Sheffield United. Against Southampton, he proved once and for all exactly what he is capable of.

Southampton was only Moran's ninth Championship start for Preston North End

It's a mind-bender that it was just Moran’s second Championship start of the season. His ninth in total since arriving at Deepdale in January. How much have Preston missed a player of his abilities and tenacity in all those games when he was sat right there on the bench?

Alexander spoke of how Moran needed to ensure he can 'use that creativity to create chances and score goals,' in order to start. He did that and then some on Saturday.

Anyone can be dropped if performance levels dip, of course, especially under Alexander, who has taken mainstays Alfie Devine and Daniel Iversen out of the starting XI already. The manager believes it makes a 'healthy' squad when everyone knows they will get game time if they perform.

In that case, Moran has surely solidified his space in the team, at least for the foreseeable. Leroy’s return from suspension, Greg Docherty’s signing and the eventual return of Ali McCann will suddenly given Alexander plenty of options in midfield, but they’ll all have to impress to dislodge Moran. The exact competitiveness the manager wants.

Alexander said Moran has got 'energy' and 'heart' after Southampton. He can't do it alone, but that, coupled with his obvious ability, might be the shovel to dig Preston out of the hole they've fallen into.