James Morrison insists Albion’s performance at Preston North End was one full of “control” and believes they were worthy winners.
Josh Maja’s strike gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at the break before Daryl Dike wrapped up three huge Sky Bet Championship points inside the final 15 minutes.
The hosts barely threatened Max O’Leary’s goal at Deepdale, with Albion claiming a fifth clean sheet in their last six fixtures.
Morrison said: “We were certainly worthy winners today. I thought we controlled the first half really well with our structure in defence and we also played some nice stuff at times.
“The key today was the times we scored our goals. It was a great move and a great finish by Josh for the first one and then Daryl scores at the end to seal it.
“We spoke in the week about Preston going man-to-man, trying to eliminate the pressure when it comes, playing forwards and running off the two forwards. It’s something that we’ve been trying to do in recent weeks and we’ve tried to become really good at that.
“The first goal was superb and I’m happy for Josh because he’s not had many chances, but I always feel confident that when he gets one, he’ll score.
“You could see how much it meant to Daryl. That smile of his was bigger. He’s had to work really hard and he’s had to stay patient. His last performance was really good so he might feel it was harsh not to start today. We’ve got another few games coming up and he’ll play a big part in them. That goal will give him a big boost.
“I want to talk about the energy of the players, not just out on the pitch today but also throughout the week leading up to the game in training. I could feel it. It’s amazing when you can feel something that’s so positive, so massive credit to the players for that. Everyone is pulling in the right direction.
“We felt in control for the majority of the game, but there were times where we were under a bit of pressure and we had to defend the box really well. We also had to defend set-pieces really well. They had a little spell just after half time where they were putting us under pressure, but we came through that and grew back into the contest.
“Clean sheets are a massive part of getting results. They always give you a chance to stay in the games. We've got another one today and we're really pleased about that.
“In these situations, the effort and the dirty work that goes into it has to go up by ten or twenty per cent – and that’s a bare minimum. You saw everyone on the floor at the final whistle after the Millwall game. We left it all out there. Everyone can see that we’re trying and that’s all this club asks for – it goes a long way.
“I’m so thankful for the support the fans gave us. We spoke in the week about the full-time scenes after the Bristol City game and those feelings. That was no different today. It was magical. I’ll get a bit of stick from the lads about doing the fist pumps, but I’m ready for that stick.”
