Preston’s lofty aim

Date published: 22 August 2014


PRESTON North End are currently the joint second-favourites to claim the Sky Bet League One title — an indication of the strength of challenge Athletic will face when travelling to Deepdale on Saturday.

With the division this time missing an obvious candidate to bounce back from relegation from the Championship at the first time of asking, the side that fell in last season’s play-offs is expected to be in the shake-up come next May.

Players arriving into the club across the summer to strengthen the squad include goalkeeper Jamie Jones from Leyton Orient — a replacement for recalled loan star Declan Rudd of Norwich — right-back Calum Woods from Huddersfield, striker Jordan Hugill from Port Vale, ex-Rangers forward Andy Little and Bradford winger Kyel Reid, who is currently out of the picture due to injury.

It all adds up to making a placing superior to last season’s fifth a distinct possibility this time around.

It has been a low-key start to the campaign from Grayson’s side.

After rescuing a draw at Notts County on the opening day of the season thanks to an 89th-minute Garner goal, North End won 2-0 at Rochdale to make it into the second round of the Capital One Cup — where they face a trip to Athletic’s conquerers, Middlesbrough, in the next stage.

Newly-promoted Scunthorpe were seen off with ease, 4-0 at Glanford Park, with Garner on the score sheet twice.

On Tuesday evening it had looked good for a second three points of the season when a long-range Chris Humphrey goal put the Lilywhites 1-0 up at Doncaster. An equaliser by Nathan Tyson in the second minute of added time gave Paul Dickov’s men a point he felt they deserved.