Japan international Yuki Abe set up Paul Gallagher to score the only goal of the game after 36 minutes and gain the win that lifts the Foxes to 19th position in the Npower Championship.

Eriksson said: "I had wondered for a long time when we would get a clean sheet and we had it today, I am very happy.

"Paul Gallagher is an important player and a good player for us. He scored with his left foot today. It was a good goal. He took it very well.

"Yuki Abe is getting better and better. Maybe outside right is not his best position, maybe he is better central, but he adapts and does what you ask him to do.

"I think he was brilliant today. He is a good footballer, no doubt about it. He has a lot of energy and he is very willing to learn and his English is getting better and better. I am very happy with him."

Preston manager Darren Ferguson was left to rue his sides missed chances in the opening and dying moments of the game.

Ferguson said: "We had a chance in the first minute. I thought Adam (Barton) would score because he is a good finisher. That could have been a key point in the game, but it wasn't to be."

He added: "We didn't pass the ball well enough and we weren't crisp enough. We must learn to pass with tempo and I felt in the first half we didn't do that.

"I'm very disappointed. It's another game gone by and another defeat."