A 2-1 home defeat to West Brom on Tuesday left Wrexham at the wrong end of the table but the Reds took out their frustrations on Preston to move up to 14th.

Although Alfie Devine cancelled out Joe Worrall’s first goal in two years, former Preston midfielder Ben Whiteman scored against his old club before Sam Smith and Kieffer Moore made sure of the points with two quick goals in the second half.

The final score perhaps flattered Wrexham, but the key point for Parkinson was to respond to Tuesday’s defeat.

“I thought the lads stood up and were counted today individually and collectively,” Parkinson said.

“A lot of really solid performances from the lads.

“It was great to get back in with the lads on Thursday, galvanise the group, and look at the detail of where we needed to improve, and I thought the lads implemented (it) so well.

“I could go through a lot of individuals who I’m so pleased with, because we showed character, we showed mentality. It’s an important win for us.”

Parkinson got a big show of support from Wrexham fans before kick-off, and returned that appreciation as he and his players put a tough week behind them.

“I’ve been a manager for a long time, I’ve managed over 1,000 games, and I’ve enjoyed the challenge of it,” Parkinson said.

“Defeats hurt as much as my first ever defeat when I was Colchester manager, which is good, because you don’t want to ever accept it, but you kind of get rid of the disappointment quicker.

“The next thing is the challenge of the next game, and the staff and the players have all risen to that brilliantly today.”