IT took 21 seconds for Paul Mckenna to answer the question: "Will the heart still beat now Moyes has gone?"
His opening blast seemed to prove the team were alive and pumping.
But for the remaining 89 minutes, 39 seconds, Preston did their damndest to leave people thinking that maybe the opener was more a blip on terminalcardiac patient.
It took David Moyes 27 seconds to see his new team score. Preston beat him by six seconds - but couldn't hold on to their lead.
Before the game, the crowd made a point of getting behind the team. Maybe Sunday's defeat was bad luck - but there was still a nagging feeling that the departure of Moyes would have repurcussions.
In the first attack of the game, Iain Anderson flew down the left wing before dropping a cross to Richard Cresswell. Unable to shoot, he passed to Paul Mckenna who unleashed a vicious 25 yard drive which left keeper Clayton Ince clutching at thin air.
orth End were like lions at London Zoo when someone has decided to drop into their cage. Crewe were disorientated and almost seemed afraid as Preston prowled around them.
But rather than going in for the kill, North End became dizzy and let Crewe back into the game.
On 16 minutes, Ben Rix jigged down the right and put a cross in which mangled among Crewe and Preston players before Kenny Lunt put it beyond keeper David Lucas.
Two minutes later, and Preston were back in front. It was Anderson who crossed again, with Cresswell diving in to head home.
And North End should have wrapped things up on 41 minutes, when Richard Cresswell was gifted with an opportunity which was squandered.
Crewe's defence was beautifully uncoordinated throughout the game and had North End put their minds to it, it would have been goals aplenty.
But the second half continued as the first had ended, with David Healy first having a shot blocked by Ince, who dropped it back to Healy. He disappointed with what followed nest.
A crunching tackle from Efetobar Sodje on Anderson in the 54th minute quietened down the only player who seemed to be really threatening Crewe.
Then North End seemed to be playing to lose as Robert Hulse was allowed to go one-on-one with Lucas. He tipped the ball over the net to keep North End in the lead.
Hulse did get his goal though, on 76 minutes, knocking a low ball past Lucas from substiture Kevin Street's cross.
North End reduced themselves to longshots from Lee Cartwright and McKenna. Anderson opted to go it alone rather than pass in the dying minutes, and squandered a good chance in the process.
If North End's play-off hopes weren't dead after Sunday's defeat, this result surely means they are left just playing for pride. North End's promotion hopes are dead - and 13,000 people know who the undertakers were.
PNE... 2 Crewe... 2
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