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Grayson delighted with display

Image: Simon Grayson: Purring after Preston showing

Preston manager Simon Grayson was purring with pride after his side's 4-0 triumph at Scunthorpe on Saturday.

Last season's leading marksman Joe Garner fired North End in front after 17 minutes and an own-goal from centre-back Miguel Llera made it 2-0 just before the interval. Man of the match Chris Humphrey got his name on the scoresheet in the 48th minute before Garner pounced again with his second goal of the game with a sweet 83rd-minute header to complete the rout. "We expected a tough game against newly promoted Scunthorpe who were playing their first home game of the season," said Grayson. "And it needed a good early save by keeper Jamie Jones, tipping a shot onto the bar, to prevent them gaining an early lead. If that had gone in, it could have been a different story. "But we settled down to produce what was a very good away performance. "We have scored some good goals, we have had some fine individual performances and collectively as a team we were very, very good. "People question sometimes why we do not play with two players up front but we have such energy and creativity in other areas of the pitch. "We have started the season really well. We should have beaten Notts County in our opening home game. "We have good competition for places and there is a good positivity about the place at the moment." Winger Chris Humphrey was handed his first start of the season and justified his selection by setting up two goals. "I have told all my players not in the team that they have to be ready to take their chance when it comes along - and Chris has done that today," said Grayson. "The players now have to maintain the same level of focus that they have shown today." Last season must seem a long way away for Scunthorpe manager Russ Wilcox who saw his team go a record 28 games without defeat after his appointment last November to win promotion. "This was our first home defeat and the result was obviously very disappointing," he said. "The worry thing is that we have now conceded seven goals in our opening two league games this season, losing them both. We have got to do much better than that. "We have just lost to a very street-wise Preston side who just missed out on promotion last season and will be there or thereabouts again this season. "We started well and it might have been a different story had an early shot from Paddy Madden gone in instead of hitting the bar. But you can't afford to make the defensive mistakes we did. "After going in 2-0 down we spoke at half-time about the importance of the next goal but it was Preston who got it. "I was disappointed we did not show more belief and mental strength. "The lads who have got the first team shirts at the moment have got to show me more fight than they did today. "We have a big game now at home to Fleetwood on Tuesday night and there might have to be changes."

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