A month ago yesterday, Ewood Park sat stunned, shocked, and in some cases questioning the future of Tony Mowbray at Blackburn Rovers, after a 7-0 thrashing by Fulham.

Fast forward five games, and no team in the Championship has taken more points than Mowbray's Rovers as they continue their battle for a play-off spot that few had tipped them for at the start of the campaign.

This particular win came in the face of unrelenting conditions and a dogged local rival in the form of a Preston side still trying to kick start their season, as Rovers showed the strength of character that has allowed them to respond so well to what could have been an infamously decisive setback, but instead now feels like more than a blip of a distant memory.

With the Ewood Park pitch having been subject to a somewhat torrential downpur in the hours leading up to kick-off, conditions were far from conjusive to fast free-flowing football.

That was in evidence right from the start, Preston captain Alan Browne getting the ball stuck his feet when trying to break through the middle, meaning he could only drag a shot wide from the edge of the Blackburn area.

Up the other end, those conditions saw Lewis Travis misjudge the timing of his kick on the edge of the area after a brilliant run and pass down the left from Joe Rothwell to tee the midfielder up.

Moments later, a Liam Lindsay pass fell short, handing an open to Ben Brereton Diaz for Blackburn, but his shot from an angle was defelcted, and though John Buckley tried to keep things alive with a cross from the byline, the visitors were able to clear.

Blackburn though continued to press, and Buckley saw a big chance come and go when conditions perhaps again played a part to prevent him getting any power behind a shot when Reda Khadra's cross fell to him inside the Preston area.

Preston though, were not without their own threat, as first McCann and Riis firing off target from just outside the Blackburn area after some good build play.

Indeed, it would be Preston who would go closest to an opener as the first half ented its final ten minutes. A good corner routine found Ched Evans at the near post, but Aynsley Pears - replacing injured first-choice 'keeper Thomas Kaminski in the Blackburn goal - got down well to stop the striker's effort from nestling in the bottom corner.

Ultimately though, there would be no goals before the break, though Evans did head off target from a Browne cross as Preston ended the half the stronger.

Blackburn however, emerged from the break with a renewed vigour, and after some early pressure, they would find the opener just seven minutes after the re-start.

Under pressure by the corner flag, Buckley did brilliantly to keep the ball alive by finding Khadra, who then delivered a pinpoint onto the head of Brereton Diaz, who guided his flicked header into the bottom corner in excellent fashion, to put Rovers ahead with his 17th league goal of the season.

Preston reacted well to that setback with a spell of pressure of their own, but struggled to really pose a threat to the Blackburn, with a tame Ched Evans header into the hands of Pears the only opening in the immediate aftermath of the goal.

It was a similar story up the other end, where despite the clear intent to solidify their lead with a second, and the tireless running of Khadra, Rovers were unable to force Iversen into a save for some time.

But as the game entered its final moments and Preston threw men forward in search of an equaliser, Rovers almost sealed it on the counter, Brereton Diaz breaking into the North End area down the left and sending a shot towards the bottom corner that Iversen was able to get and keep out with a strong hand.

In the end though, that one goal would be enough, as Rovers showed the resilience that has empitomised them over the past month to claim another welcome three points that keep them well and truly in the play-off mix, as Preston, after four points from their last two before this, were left to reflect on another missed opportunity to give their season some momentum.