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HOW fitting that Les Massie was looking on as Jordan Rhodes continued his red-hot scoring streak with another hat trick.

That’s two in successive games for Town and three in four outings after his treble for Scotland Under 21s in Luxembourg.

It’s 13 in five matches for club and country, 12 for Town this season and 57 overall in domestic football since his switch from Ipswich in the summer of 2009.

Massie netted 108 in his 10 years as a first teamer at Leeds Road between 1956 and 1966 but never won a cap for his native Scotland, largely due to the top tartan talent which existed in that period.

Given current boss Craig Levein’s more limited options, Rhodes must be a good shout become Town’s first full Scotland international since Denis Law, who won six caps while with the club in the late Fifties (Joe Harper’s two outings in 1967 were in unofficial tour games).

England Under 21 scout Ian Butterworth was also present, and while he might well be disappointed Oldham- born Rhodes has chosen to play for Scotland under the five-years’ schooling rule, he will surely have taken note of Jack Hunt’s bright display.

The right-back linked neatly with midfielder Scott Arfield throughout and delivered a cracking ball in for Rhodes to head his second in the 42nd minute.

At 40, Ian Bennett is beyond any chance of international action, but the keeper again showed his dependability by pulling off a couple of fine saves at key moments.

He had to arch backwards to get a telescopic hand to Iain Hume’s deflected shot two minutes after Rhodes’ early opener, then dived to his right to keep out a fizzing 76th-minute free-kick from substitute Keammar Daley which would have made it 3-2 and set up a big finale.

Preston will probably argue that the scoreline failed to reflect the pattern of a high-tempo and entertaining Roses duel, but Town took the bulk of the chances they created to clinch a fourth successive league victory and create a new club record of 14 league games unbeaten from the start of a season, bettering the mark of 1962-63.

And Lee Clark’s side will now go for 40 league matches unbeaten at Scunthorpe tomorrow buoyed by seeing off one of the other sides relegated from the Championship last season.

Having started the season strongly, Preston crossed the Pennines desperate to avoid a fourth straight loss, but gave themselves a problem by conceding in only the fourth minute.

Ex-Everton keeper Iain Turner was caught in two minds as he came out to try and deal with a lofted through ball under pressure from Rhodes and ended up fluffing his clearance, allowing the alert Town man to roll the ball home.

Preston reacted well, and Bennett’s save was followed by a great block from Peter Clarke to thwart Adam Barton.

Bennett held Brian McLean’s low shot, then German frontman Juvhel Tsoumou screwed his 20th-minute shot wide.

Town gradually rediscovered their rhythm, however, and Alan Lee shot over and came agonisingly close to connecting with a cross by Tommy Miller, who then shot across the face.

Rhodes finally doubled the lead when he headed in off the right-hand post, and could have had a third in the 49th minute, when his low drive was saved by Turner.

There was a touch of quality when the hat-trick strike did come along in the 57th minute, with Rhodes meeting Arfield’s cross and deceiving Clark Carlisle before shooting home.

Tsoumou converted Hume’s cross from close range in the 61st minute, but other than Daley’s free-kick, didn’t really threaten.

And at the other end, both skipper Clarke, with a header, and substitute Danny Ward, with a shot which flew just wide, came close to extending the home lead.