Tim Mercer column - I have to hold my hand up after Thommo’s dominant display

​To be honest, going into this game with all four league matches lost which placedus firmly at the foot of the table, this fan just wanted to see a stop to the rot.

With the added spice of a derby against old foe Blackburn,less than 12 miles away down Preston New Road, it was imperative to at least not lose!

So how refreshing to not only take the lead in under 10 minutes, but to also go into half time 2-0 to the good.

Even so, a bit of gallows humour meant that I joked with my friends that we only needed another goal now to be guaranteed a draw!

Callum Lang scored both of PNE’s goals, his first for the club since signing for a then club record in the January window.

Getting injured in that New Year curtailed his appearances for the remainder of last season and so let’s hope those woes are behind him and the confidence boost of this brace signals more goals to come.

Of course, we didn’t have it all our own way in that first 45 and it has to be said that the defence still looks shaky and in need of further repair come next January.

However new signing at right back, Harry Clarke, is already becoming a bit of a cult hero and so far looks like the quality North End have been missing for a long while.

I also have to hold my hand up regarding a signing from last Summer, in midfielder Jordan Thompson.

Arriving injured, it took him most of last season to even break into the first team and it has to be said did not impress most watching him.

What a change this new season has brought, with him being a key player in the steady improvement, increment by increment, in these first few matches of new players arriving week by week.

With the squad now finally settled, let’s hope this continues. His delivery from a free kick for Lang’s headed second was a cracker and he commanded the midfield well with a dominant overall display.

Almost inevitably, Rovers came out strongly for the start of the second half and pulled a goal back from an unfortunate own goal by Stanley Mills, another new arrival making only his second start, following a deflection off Lewis Gibson from a Blackburn cross into the six yard area.

Mills is another exciting new signing who attacks down the right side from midfield and who won the free kick that led to our second goal.

I thought there was some good game management from manager Paul Heckingbottom in bringing off young Chelsea loanee Caleb Wiley shortly after Rovers’ goal. He was being given a torrid time by the visiting wing back at this point and will no doubt learn from the experience.

It was a bit nervy towards the end and we needed some good saves from Daniel Iversen to keep the advantage and see the game out for those precious three points.

Undoubtedly this improvement must now continue in order to move further up the table and give us some breathing space going into the late September international break.