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Alan Irvine felt that North End's stunning ascent to the Play-Offs came in a fashion that is unique to British culture.
Having seen QPR throwing everyone forward - including goalkeeper Radek Cerny - for a late flurry of set pieces in a game that didn't have any great impact on the overall destiny of their season, the North End boss explained that everyone inside Deepdale had witnessed a spectacle that makes our game special.
"I think finishes like that can only happen in this country," he explained. "I don't think the same would happen in Spain or Italy where a team with nothing to play for sends a goalkeeper up for corners or free-kicks in the last minutes of the game. It's what makes the game special in Britain - it's a terrific statement for football because everybody wants to win in this country.
"Cardiff can't say that QPR gave it away for them today, and we knew that would be the case - I've been saying that all week. We knew that they wouldn't be on their holidays, they wouldn't lie down, and they would be coming here to win because they're professional footballers, and that's the culture of this country.
"That's what you have to be ready for and I knew that Sheffield Wednesday would have to do the best they could to win against Cardiff; likewise Bristol City against Burnley."
A combination of two correct results sent North End into sixth and with it a Play-Off berth - just what all the effort was all about.
"It feels fantastic," said Irvine of his emotions. "Obviously, we're absolutely delighted, it's a great achievement from us, and the boys deserve enormous credit because their work rate all season from July 1st. They're getting their rewards.
"It was obviously very tense and nerve wracking on the touchline, and we had to defend extremely well from a couple of set plays just at the end of the game. Credit to the lads - they did the job that they're expected to do.
"There was a lot of tension early on, whereas they were totally relaxed. They've got good footballers and as a result of that they were able to play a lot of nice football. They gave us problems at the start of the game by getting players in between their lines and we needed to weather the storm to some extent.
"Having said that, on the other side we were giving them problems when we had the ball as well. At half-time I was trying to address a few things, as we always do, and unfortunately we didn't start the second half as well as I wanted to. We then responded fantastically - as we have done many times this season - to conceding a goal.
"The first goal came from pressure on their defence. We had allowed them to get started to easily on too many occasions, but on that particular occasion we were right, Jon managed to force the error, and his finish was fantastic from a tight angle.
"I was actually desparately hoping he would cut it back because Neil Mellor was free, but I was delighted when it went in."
Irvine then spoke of his feelings as the equalising goal went in, with former PNE man Patrick Agyemang living up to one of the key rules of the game by netting against his old side. The boss, though, said he expected nothing less from a quality player, explaining:
"I really like Patrick Agyemang. He's a good lad and a great professional. You should never forget the job he did here and the way he wanted to keep playing even though he knew there was a big move waiting in the January.
"He was the perfect professional and I've got so much respect for him for that. I knew that Pat would continue to be the perfect professional and that he would be trying to score against us.
"That's not because he would want to prove anything to Preston North End, but quite simply because he's a top class professional footballer."
After that leveller, PNE threw everything but the kitchen sink towards goal in a bid to snatch something from the game.
"We actually created some really good opportunities but everything went straight to the goalkeeper," said Irvine of a nervy period. "We just couldn't finish them and it was beginning to look as if it might not be.
"We knew that Jon Parkin had that [the ability to produce long throw-ins] in his locker - the only problem is that if he's throwing it, who's heading it in? It was different, obviously, because Chris Brown was on the pitch and we sent Sean St. Ledger up.
"It was something we knew about, yes, but I'd be lieing if I said it was something we've worked on. By that time Jon had taken the initiative - we talk about players taking the initiative many, many times, and fortunately he did. That paid off massively for us."
The boss claimed he also knew that things were going his side's way in every sense from the reaction coming from four excited sides of Deepdale.
"I guessed that, from what was happening in the crowd," he admitted. "From the response of the fans I could sense that things were going our way and it was fantastic to hear the noise in the stadium because that's something that I've not heard before.
"It was awesome standing there looking at the stadium - the way it was is something that I will remember forever. It was a fantastic feeling.
"It's always very difficult to criticise pitch invasions, isn't it? Everyone knows they shouldn't do it, but we spoke about Ross [Wallace] taking his shirt off last week, and that's just emotion.
"I think the fans deserved their day, and it was great that they'd gone off the pitch again for when we came back out because it would have been a shame if we hadn't had an opportunity to thank them for their support.
"We wanted to make it clear before the game that it wasn't a lap of honour - it was a lap of thanks, and it's important that people know the difference. Yes, we've got into the Play-Offs, but ultimately, that's not all we want to achieve. It's kind of success, but it's not the kind of success that we're looking for."
To achieve that success, PNE will have to first see off Sheffield United, and then potentially the victors of the Reading v Burnley clash in a Wembley final. Irvine concluded on a positive note:
"We know that when we're at our best we can compete with anybody in this division - we also know that Sheffield United are a very, very good side. They're a very powerful and effective side and we'll have to play really well to get past them.
"We'll look forward to it nonetheless. When you're in football, these are the games that you must look forward to - if you don't, then you're doing the wrong job. It's fantastic for us to be in this position - so far it's been a very, very good season; time will tell if it has been a great season."
Having seen QPR throwing everyone forward - including goalkeeper Radek Cerny - for a late flurry of set pieces in a game that didn't have any great impact on the overall destiny of their season, the North End boss explained that everyone inside Deepdale had witnessed a spectacle that makes our game special.
"I think finishes like that can only happen in this country," he explained. "I don't think the same would happen in Spain or Italy where a team with nothing to play for sends a goalkeeper up for corners or free-kicks in the last minutes of the game. It's what makes the game special in Britain - it's a terrific statement for football because everybody wants to win in this country.
"Cardiff can't say that QPR gave it away for them today, and we knew that would be the case - I've been saying that all week. We knew that they wouldn't be on their holidays, they wouldn't lie down, and they would be coming here to win because they're professional footballers, and that's the culture of this country.
"That's what you have to be ready for and I knew that Sheffield Wednesday would have to do the best they could to win against Cardiff; likewise Bristol City against Burnley."
A combination of two correct results sent North End into sixth and with it a Play-Off berth - just what all the effort was all about.
"It feels fantastic," said Irvine of his emotions. "Obviously, we're absolutely delighted, it's a great achievement from us, and the boys deserve enormous credit because their work rate all season from July 1st. They're getting their rewards.
"It was obviously very tense and nerve wracking on the touchline, and we had to defend extremely well from a couple of set plays just at the end of the game. Credit to the lads - they did the job that they're expected to do.
"There was a lot of tension early on, whereas they were totally relaxed. They've got good footballers and as a result of that they were able to play a lot of nice football. They gave us problems at the start of the game by getting players in between their lines and we needed to weather the storm to some extent.
"Having said that, on the other side we were giving them problems when we had the ball as well. At half-time I was trying to address a few things, as we always do, and unfortunately we didn't start the second half as well as I wanted to. We then responded fantastically - as we have done many times this season - to conceding a goal.
"The first goal came from pressure on their defence. We had allowed them to get started to easily on too many occasions, but on that particular occasion we were right, Jon managed to force the error, and his finish was fantastic from a tight angle.
"I was actually desparately hoping he would cut it back because Neil Mellor was free, but I was delighted when it went in."
Irvine then spoke of his feelings as the equalising goal went in, with former PNE man Patrick Agyemang living up to one of the key rules of the game by netting against his old side. The boss, though, said he expected nothing less from a quality player, explaining:
"I really like Patrick Agyemang. He's a good lad and a great professional. You should never forget the job he did here and the way he wanted to keep playing even though he knew there was a big move waiting in the January.
"He was the perfect professional and I've got so much respect for him for that. I knew that Pat would continue to be the perfect professional and that he would be trying to score against us.
"That's not because he would want to prove anything to Preston North End, but quite simply because he's a top class professional footballer."
After that leveller, PNE threw everything but the kitchen sink towards goal in a bid to snatch something from the game.
"We actually created some really good opportunities but everything went straight to the goalkeeper," said Irvine of a nervy period. "We just couldn't finish them and it was beginning to look as if it might not be.
"We knew that Jon Parkin had that [the ability to produce long throw-ins] in his locker - the only problem is that if he's throwing it, who's heading it in? It was different, obviously, because Chris Brown was on the pitch and we sent Sean St. Ledger up.
"It was something we knew about, yes, but I'd be lieing if I said it was something we've worked on. By that time Jon had taken the initiative - we talk about players taking the initiative many, many times, and fortunately he did. That paid off massively for us."
The boss claimed he also knew that things were going his side's way in every sense from the reaction coming from four excited sides of Deepdale.
"I guessed that, from what was happening in the crowd," he admitted. "From the response of the fans I could sense that things were going our way and it was fantastic to hear the noise in the stadium because that's something that I've not heard before.
"It was awesome standing there looking at the stadium - the way it was is something that I will remember forever. It was a fantastic feeling.
"It's always very difficult to criticise pitch invasions, isn't it? Everyone knows they shouldn't do it, but we spoke about Ross [Wallace] taking his shirt off last week, and that's just emotion.
"I think the fans deserved their day, and it was great that they'd gone off the pitch again for when we came back out because it would have been a shame if we hadn't had an opportunity to thank them for their support.
"We wanted to make it clear before the game that it wasn't a lap of honour - it was a lap of thanks, and it's important that people know the difference. Yes, we've got into the Play-Offs, but ultimately, that's not all we want to achieve. It's kind of success, but it's not the kind of success that we're looking for."
To achieve that success, PNE will have to first see off Sheffield United, and then potentially the victors of the Reading v Burnley clash in a Wembley final. Irvine concluded on a positive note:
"We know that when we're at our best we can compete with anybody in this division - we also know that Sheffield United are a very, very good side. They're a very powerful and effective side and we'll have to play really well to get past them.
"We'll look forward to it nonetheless. When you're in football, these are the games that you must look forward to - if you don't, then you're doing the wrong job. It's fantastic for us to be in this position - so far it's been a very, very good season; time will tell if it has been a great season."
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