Management thoughts on playing Preston in the league

Posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010

Mike says -

“One of the biggest surprises to me this season is that Preston Athletic aren’t challenging at the top of the Premier League table as we enter the business end of the season . We played them twice at the Pennypitt in the opening month of this campaign and both games were very close affairs. Omar’s goal in injury time to win the corresponding league game in August was against the run of play and we were fortunate to come away with all three points that day.

As I say I’m surprised what a poor league season Preston have had by their recent high standards but players get injured, move abroad and confidence can slowly be sapped. I went down to the Pennypitt on Tuesday thinking I might see a team feeling a bit low after losing at Muirhouse at the weekend and I’m now glad I made the journey as nothing could be further from the truth. Hawick were surprisingly game but as they tired and Preston stepped up the pace I saw a team going about their business in a professional manner.

Preston set up with a good shape, had good discipline, played at a good tempo and in Craig Manson, a former player of mine at three different clubs including Spartans, they had a striker on fire.  Safe from any worries after last weekends results Stevie and his boys can come to the Academy tomorrow and enjoy their afternoon. They can only do that by playing well and I’m sure our new surrounding will bring out the best in a side we have the upmost respect for.

For our part Sam and I have to get the players down from Cloud Nine and make them realise that tomorrow’s game will be nothing like the two previous games they’ve played in the last seven days. The goals may have flown in against Crichton and Lothian but Preston are a different proposition altogether. Crichton play in a league which isn’t up to the pace of the East of Scotland and we scored most of our goals against Lothian when they were down to 8 men.

Being our third last league game and needing to increase our points lead on Whitehill who are in cup action, the pressure is all on us tomorrow. Sam and I will check on the fitness of all the players today before picking the side but once again there will be one or two changes. Such is the strength of our squad only two players have played the full 90 minutes in our last three games as Sam and I have tried to keep the squad as fresh as possible. We play Preston on the back of two midweek games and despite that we will have to be raring to go and at our best to pick up any points.   

We are all looking forward to the game.”

Mike