Slaven Bilić says he was ‘extremely proud’ of his players as they extended their winning sequence in the Sky Bet Championship to five games.
Charlie Austin’s third goal in as many matches secured three crucial points - a result which sent the Baggies straight back to the top of the table.
The 1-0 victory was Albion’s fourth successive away win, and the first defeat Preston North End have suffered on home soil this season.
And the Baggies boss was understandably delighted with his players’ effort and performance at Deepdale.
“It was a tough game," said Slaven.
"They had the best home record for that reason. They are tough to beat they are not flashy or sexy but they are like all Alex Neil teams are, and I love it and adore it. They are tough to beat and they give everything and are very physical."
“To be fair, in the first half we were much better than them. All that was lacking was we were not good enough in the final third, but overall it was sometimes very easy for us coming into dangerous situations but we didn’t create a lot.
“In the second half they improved their game. They were better on second balls so they got a few corners, a few crosses. Then we made some changes and in the last 20 minutes again it was much more us than them.
“We were attacking with numbers, we were risking and then when they were kicking the ball out most of the time we were getting the ball back and playing again. It is very difficult to resist that and defend when it is coming in waves.
“In the moment when we thought the point is good here, we’re not totally happy but we’re thinking just don’t concede a goal, we scored a goal. After that we managed the game well. It was a solid performance on the front foot and as long as you keep the clean sheet you can always score a goal, especially with us when we attack with numbers.
“But the key is to keep the clean sheet and reduce their number of attacks. As long as you do that you always have a chance, and that is exactly what happened today.
“We are doing well at home and we are nowhere near them. We have just played against a team that this season are by far the best at home and we managed to beat them. That requires something. I am extremely proud of the guys.”
