Patrick Agyemang in form

Patrick Agyemang's nose for goal lifted Preston up to third place overnight.

The Ghana international sniffed out his third strike in four matches to see off 10-man Barnsley in front of the Sky cameras.

And later Agyemang insisted his 30th minute winner was not one to be sneezed at . . . even though it came off his conk!

"I suppose I got a bit lucky," he smiled. "The keeper punched the ball and it bounced off my nose into the net. But a goal is a goal - they all count. And it gave us another three points."

Agyemang's trunk call completed a memorable Deepdale hat-trick with the 25-year-old now having netted in each of North End's last three home games. All of the matches have turned out to be victories, sending Paul Simpson's side rocketing up from 15th to third in the space of just two weeks.

Sadly not even form like that satisfies everyone, as the manager found to his dismay when he was confronted by one critical fan en route to the dressing room at the final whistle.

But as the matchwinner explained later: "Third place is something to be pleased about for goodness sake, especially after all that has happened at this club over the summer.

"Okay it will probably change by teatime Saturday. But we've got to be happy with how things have gone so far. It's been a good start."

Agyemang can now boast a shot on the turn, an acrobatic overhead kick and a nose job in his portfolio of goals so far this term. Cardiff, West Bromwich Albion and now Barnsley have all been sent home empty-handed by the ?350,000 capture from Gillingham.

Yet he was the first to admit the amazing stroke of good fortune which gifted him the decider last night.

"Simon put the ball in and I tried to get on the end of it," he said. "But when he crosses into the box like that he does it with so much pace and it is hard to read where it is going.

"Fortunately for me the keeper punched it straight at me. It hit me full in the face. It just smacked into me and cannoned off into the net.

"Who cares what it looked like? I'm happy with three in the last four games and the team are happy we have kept the run going."

North End took their unbeaten sequence in the league to seven - four wins and three draws.