Gary Rowett and Ryan Lowe in disagreement after Birmingham City 1-0 Preston

Preston manager Ryan Lowe had a markedly different take to Birmingham City boss Gary Rowett after the Blues downed their promotion-chasing opponents 1-0 thanks to Jay Stansfield’s second-half winner at a sunny St Andrew's.

Birmingham dominated the Lancashire outfit in just Rowett’s second game back in charge, notching better pass accuracy, more possession, more shots and more shots on target just three days after the heartbreaking 92nd-minute defeat to QPR.

Stansfield’s winner - courtesy of a Liam Lindsay slip - sent Blues fans into raptures and Rowett believed it was just desserts for his side’s work rate, but Lowe claimed North End should’ve had the game wrapped up by half-time after trying to walk two gilt-edged chances into the net.

Mads Frojkaer-Jensen created the first real opportunity of the game as Birmingham were cut open but overhit the wrong pass with Robbie Brady wide open. The Irishman then appeared to have gifted Emil Riis a goal at the end of the half only for Lee Buchanan to appear from nowhere and clear it.

“The slip's cost us a point minimum, but we should've had the game out of sight at half-time, had two glorious opportunities to score,” Lowe said. “I get what the lads are trying to do, leave it on a plate for the strikers but just put the ball in the back of the net. Then it's a potential game-over situation at 2-0, tough to come back.

“But I think how anybody was going to win the game was a mistake, a set-piece, a ricochet. Low and behold, our centre-half who's been outstanding all season has slipped at the wrong time. If you give a good player of that calibre a one-on-one he's every chance of scoring.”

However, Rowett had a decidedly different take as he presided over the first Birmingham win in his second spell in charge at St Andrew's.

With Preston arriving in fantastic form having only lost twice in the Championship since New Year's Day, Rowett’s players made the Lilywhites look the relegation-threatened side and restricted them to just one attempt on target all afternoon.

And while Preston did have their chances in the first half, Birmingham also could've taken an early lead had Jordan James produced a better ball to exploit a two-on-one opportunity that ultimately thudded straight through to Freddie Woodman in the visiting net.

“We limited them to very, very little,” Rowett said. “I thought we looked like the most likely team to win and that’s difficult against a resilient Preston team. We had a clean sheet, finished off our chance and maybe could’ve had another.”

The victory means Birmingham leapfrog Plymouth Argyle into 20th and get some breathing space to Huddersfield and the top of the relegation zone with a trip to the Terriers still to come on the penultimate day of the season.