Tim Mercer’s Preston North End Fans’ Panel: Here’s to the first of many from Scott Sinclair

And boy did he enjoy it! Running over to where we sit in the Invincibles Stand, he did not hold back in his delight at what was a peach of a strike curled round the helpless Swansea keeper.

What a shame it was so short-lived, as the visitors equalised a few minutes later following an initial block by Declan Rudd that ran on for their on-loan striker from Liverpool Rhian Brewster to score an easy goal.

All this in the first half-hour or so turned out to be the only goals of the game in an even match overall.

Swansea had started the brightest, looking dangerous in attack and creating a couple of decent chances prior to Sinclair’s opener.

North End edged the second half and came close a few times to snatching it towards the end, none more so than an Alan Browne miss for the last of these after he seemed surprised to be put through by substitute Sean Maguire’s header.

As for the Swans, they became more and more tetchy as the game wore on, conceding fouls and picking up yellow cards as their frustration grew. Having said that, one moment of real quality for them saw a player put through by a defence-splitting pass only for him to stumble slightly and, to the relief of us all, the chance was gone.

From a fans’ point of view I’m not sure if I think this is two points dropped or one point gained against a team only one point below us and still stuffed with Premier League players on parachute-payment wages.

With another six matches to go in this, the shortest month of the year, it will no doubt be much clearer by March 1 as to how this season will pan out.