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There were outstanding performances all over the pitch but it will be Wes Fletcher who gets the headlines for two more goals, coming in the space of a minute, in the second half that gave Burnley the lead and ultimately the points their performance so richly deserved.
Burnley had to make one late change to the side with Michael King ruled out with an injury. Joe McKee stepped in with Archie Love taking his place on the bench.
We started well and took the game to Preston at every opportunity. We were solid at the back where Chris Lynch, playing only his second reserve game since coming back from injury, partnered Nik Kudiersky who was enjoying his first game since last January. The last time they played alongside each other was back in the 2008/09 season in the youth team.
Kudiersky almost gave us the lead too when he came up for a set piece. He saw his effort cleared off the line and I think with some decent technology here we might well have been celebrating the first goal.
Andreas Arestidou, signed in the summer from Shrewsbury, was much the busier of the two goalkeepers and he did well to keep out a Fletcher effort and then made a better save from Dominic Knowles.
The surprise at half time was that the score was still 0-0 after what had been a really good forty five minutes from the lads. All it needed was goals and they duly came after the break.
Probably Preston had their best spell in the early stages of the half but then, on 59 minutes, we went in front. Alex MacDonald got the ball across to Fletcher on the left hand side of the box who still had a defender to beat. He went past him with ease before drilling his shot past the keeper into the far bottom corner.
Within a minute the lead had been doubled and it was Fletcher again. This time it was Kudiersky who played the ball forward for Fletcher who was well marshalled by former Burnley player Neal Trotman, the Preston captain.
Wes used his strength to see him off and then got his one bit of good fortune when the goalkeeper failed to hold the shot and it went through his legs.
At that point we were very much in command and with any luck we would have added further goals. Fletcher again came close, McKee got free on the right but we were just unable to turn his cross in and then Anderson had a shot blocked.
In the closing minutes Preston had a couple of situations that came to nothing but a goal would certainly not have reflected the game or our performance.
We were excellent in all departments with Anderson and Dave Lynch running the show at times in midfield.
'A joy to watch' I called it and that's exactly what it was. It's taken us back to the top of the league and I would encourage anyone who can do so to get down to the Turf next Tuesday night for our next game against Shrewsbury. If it is half as good as this it will be well worth watching.
The teams were;
Preston: Andreas Arestidou, Conor McLaughlin, Neal Trotman, Fred Holtom (Daniel Forbes 83), Sam Hart, Doyle Middleton, Bailey Wright, George Miller, Reece James, Michael McLellan, Ryan Croasdale (Matt Dudley 61). Subs not used: Dominic Comrie, Luke Clark.
Burnley: Ben Woodhead, Ed Williams, Nik Kudiersky, Chris Lynch, Curtis Woods, Alex MacDonald, Joe McKee (Ross Wilson 85), Chris Anderson, Dave Lynch, Dominic Knowles, Wes Fletcher. Subs not used: Josh Cook, Tom Anderson, Steven Hewitt, Archie Love, Shay McCartan, Joe Jackson.
Attendance: 85.