Ryan Lowe was pleased to see Preston edge a “great battle” against a Plymouth side managed by his former assistant Steven Schumacher.
North End returned to the top of the Championship thanks to Duane Holmes’ opener after just 38 seconds and a second goal before half-time from debutant Liam Millar.
Schumacher, who succeeded Lowe at Home Park after working as his number two, changed things around at half-time and Ryan Hardie pulled one back for the visitors.
In an end-to-end encounter Argyle could have scored more, while Brad Potts hit a post for the hosts with 20 minutes to go.
“The lads put everything on the line to make sure they came away with the three points,” Lowe said.
“In the first half we were well worthy of the two goals. We came out with a really fast start and the second half was always going to be tough.
“Fair play to Plymouth, they changed a few things round and brought a lot of subs on and had a good go.
“They got one back, but our lads put their bodies on the line and caught everything in passes and tackles.
“It was good for me and the coaches because we were thinking all the time, and I know Shuey will have been, so it was a great battle.
“We knew they were going to have large parts of the ball, we didn’t do as well as we would have liked in the second half.
“It could have been 4-4 or 5-5 there were that many chances, we both did the right thing and tried to win a game of football.”
The two bosses shared a warm embrace ahead of kick-off as they geared up for their first clash as rival managers.
The action got off to an explosive start as Millar darted down the left, Argyle goalkeeper Conor Hazard could not hold his cross and Holmes charged in and headed home the loose ball.
Montenegro international Milutin Osmajic then expertly played in Millar, who side-stepped a defender before coolly slotting past Hazard to make it 2-0.
Argyle went on to dominate the remainder of the first period, with Kaine Kesler-Hayden missing their best chance to halve the deficit, firing straight at Freddie Woodman after being played in.
Finn Azaz and Morgan Whittaker threatened early in the second half for Argyle before Luke Cundle played in Hardie for a deserved goal.
But it was Preston who finished the stronger as Osmajic was denied by Hazard before Potts struck the woodwork, leaving Schumacher to rue a missed opportunity.
He said: “I am disappointed to lose the game.
“I didn’t feel that we deserved to lose, but we’ve come away from home again and played really well and caused the top-of-the-table team loads of problems.
“I am also proud and pleased with the players’ performance because we were brave.
“Even after going 1-0 down we kept playing and we were more than game for them.
“I don’t know if Preston would have had any other games this season where the opposition created so many chances, so credit to Ryan and his staff in getting them organised and getting people in the way.
“They block shots, they block crosses and they put their bodies on the line and their goalkeeper is a top goalie.
“If we believe that we can continue to play in this way and creating opportunities, then our first win away from home won’t be far away.”
Plymouth Argyle 2-2 Watford: Two-goal Gray rescues point for Rooney's side
Andre Gray scored twice against his former club to salvage a point for struggling Plymouth Argyle as they drew 2-2 with Watford on Friday.
Gray curled in an equaliser in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time to seal a crucial point for Wayne Rooney's side in their bid for survival in the Championship.
The visitors made a quick start at Home Park when Ivorian striker Vakoun Bayo bundled in a cross from Yasser Larouci only eight minutes in.
Plymouth did, however, equalise against the run of play in the 23rd minute when Lewis Gibson's long ball into the box was met with a spectacular volley from Gray.
Watford regained the lead before the break when Imran Louza's free-kick was knocked back by Mattie Pollock, with centre-back Ryan Porteous on hand to steer the ball home.
But just as it looked like Watford would go home with all three points, Gray picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fired home a stunning effort beyond Daniel Bachmann.
Tom Cleverley's Watford sit in fifth place and trail leaders Sunderland by five points, while Plymouth are 17th with 17 points from 16 matches.
Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner
Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training.
Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term.
The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.
But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.
"We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said.
"But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.
"So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.
"The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.
"But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."
Al-Nassr 1-2 Al-Qadsiah: Aubameyang winner ends hosts' unbeaten run
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the winner as Al-Qadsiah inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Friday to end their 21-match unbeaten run.
Cristiano Ronaldo's seventh league goal of the season put Al-Nassr ahead, but Al-Qadsiah replied swiftly through Julian Quinones before Aubameyang struck the decisive blow.
The hosts drew first blood in the 32nd minute when Ronaldo slotted home after Al-Qadsiah goalkeeper Koen Casteels had spilled a routine catch from Talisca's cross.
However, Al-Nassr's joy was short-lived when Quinones brought down Turki Al Ammar's delivery five minutes later, with the Mexcio winger firing past Bento to level the scores.
Quinones also played a part in the winning goal after brilliantly turning the ball back across goal from Nahitan Nandez's search pass to tee up a simple finish for Aubameyang.
The result sees Al-Qadsiah move level on 22 points with third-placed Al-Nassr, with Al-Shabab also level with them.
Stefano Pioli's Al-Nassr are six points adrift of defending champions and leaders Al-Hilal, who also have a game in hand.
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