Will Keane brace sees Preston North End beat Bristol City in vital result for Ryan Lowe

There really was no getting away from the importance of this fixture, as the Lilywhites returned to business looking to improve their fortunes - having picked up 16 points from the last possible 57 on offer. Standing in their way was a Bristol City side going along pretty nicely under Liam Manning - a coach still implementing his possession-focused style on the Robins and looking to climb further up the Championship table.

The visitors - buoyed by a comeback draw at West Ham United last time out - had their work cut out to move the ball sharply on a dodgy Deepdale surface. Both sides contested a dreary first 45 minutes, in which promising positions were picked up but final third cutting edge was non-existent. Taylor Gardner-Hickman had a golden chance to break the deadlock early doors, but saw his low effort pushed behind by Freddie Woodman - after space opened up in midfield. At the other end, Max O'Leary blocked a drilled Liam Millar strike shortly before half-time.

But this had been a forgettable spectacle, on a so-far flat afternoon in which the Deepdale crowd - many of whom evidently want a change at the helm - felt ready to explode. Therefore, the first goal in the match looked vital and Preston's boss was obviously far from content. At the interval, Lowe hooked club captain Alan Browne along with Duane Holmes and Milutin Osmajic; Mads Frokjaer, Will Keane and Emil Riis their replacements. That was the move of a man who must've known the significance of the second half - and wasn't prepared to sit and hope.

Keane, the PNE player to have made way for Holmes in the starting lineup, instantly injected some life into the performance - along with the recently returned Riis. Shortly after the restart, North End's number 19 galloped down the left and picked out his striker partner, who - like on the opening day - showed nifty footwork to create space and shoot. The connection was sweet and Keane must've expected to see the net ripple, but O'Leary produced the strongest of hands to push over. Just minutes later, Keane guided agonisingly off target from a matter of yards out - after Andrew Hughes won his header from Ben Whiteman's corner.

But, Preston's slight improvement was there to see and on 66 minutes they found a way past O'Leary - who was caught in no man's land, utterly helpless as Keane got to the loose ball first and rolled the ball into the empty net from 20 yards. The Robins had shown some bright signs in the first half, but now looked there for the taking and Riis provided the moment of creative clarity on 77 minutes - which ultimately killed City off.

Preston's Danish duo were combining effectively in and around Bristol City's box - two players evidently on the same page. And, when Riis found room down the right, he blasted his cross into a corridor of invitation for Keane to latch on to and tuck away. After North End's pedestrian first half performance, Lowe's three substitutes brought some freedom on to the field and made the desired impact. A comfortable - and much needed - three points for PNE who got over the line with minimal fuss, on a day which had the potential to turn ugly at the mid-way stage.

Attendance: 14,929. PNE starting XI: Woodman; Potts (Brady 79'), Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Whiteman, McCann, Holmes (Keane 46'), Browne (Frokjaer 46'), Millar, Osmajic (Riis 46'). PNE unused subs: Cornell, Cunningham, Best, Ledson, Stewart.