The ancient discipline of yoga is helping fire North End up the table admits striker Neil Mellor.
Mellor and his strike-partner Chris Brown have been in fine goalscoring form this season, grabbing a total of 12 between them and it's no coincidence that both players are fully paid-up members of Preston's ever-growing yoga club.
With the duo showing sparkling form it was no surprise to see a bumper attendance of the yoga session on Friday morning as the team prepared for the trip to Leicester City.
It's a game that Mellor and his team-mates will be looking forward to as the Lilywhites aim to continue their fine Championship form.
How well do you think you've started the season off on a personal level?
I've started the season reasonably well. I'm a striker who wants to score goal and when I score goals it makes me happy and the fact that the team has had a good start to the season has been great as well. I couldn't have asked for a better start, both for myself and the team.
Compared to last season how important was it for you to get a good start?
We started last season quite well, we went quite a number of games unbeaten and that gave us a lift to help us during the whole season, it kept us in and amongst the Play-Offs for the whole season. Hopefully the good start we have had this season can keep us up there.
With four recognised strikers at the club how tough is it to keep your place in the team?
It is tough, the Gaffer has given us all an equal opportunity to show what we can do on the pitch and when we do get that chance it is up to us to take it. We've got four decent strikers so whoever is given the job on a Saturday the Gaffer can trust and he can do a good job. Scoring goals helps that and when I'm scoring goals I am feeling good and I am hoping to continue that.
Do you think that a striker scoring the goals helps lift the team?
I think you need a lot of the departments working well to lift the team. You need your keeper making saves, which Lonners is doing, you need your defence keeping clean sheets which we have done already this season and you also need the midfield creating stuff for the forwards as well. If the forward are putting the chances away then I think you need 30 or 40 goals from all your strikers for the season to have a good chance of being in the top six.
Matty Fryatt scored plenty of goals for Leicester at League One level, how tough is it to take that kind of form into the Championship?
It's tough. He's started off the season very well, he's proved that he is a good goalscorer, he's got an eye for a goal and I like players like that. He's similar to myself so our defence is going to have to be on their guard because if you give him half a chance and he will take it and that could be a matchwinning goal.
What do we know about Leicester? What are their main threats?
We've played them in the cup already this season and they made a number of changes but they are new to the division this season, they are a big club, a nice stadium, they have got a decent home record . We know it is not going to be easy but it is up to us to continue this good run.
Are these the fixtures you look to with dread? A promoted side knowing that you are going to be in a battle?
Not really. Leicester are a big club anyway so it is not a daunting place to go to. They have got great facilities and everything like that and a lot of clubs when they go to Leicester will try and raise their game because of the facilities that they have got there. We will be no different to every game we approach and we will be doing our best to win it.
What are your aims for the season? How difficult is it going to be to repeat the heights you reached last season?
It is going to be difficult because the division is very tough. Play-Offs is what we all hope to achieve this season and that will be the main goal this season for the squad.
Your strike-partner Chris Brown has been feeling the benefits of the yoga and you are also a keen enthusiast, how is it helping your game?
It's something that the physio has introduced, he seems to think that it helps us all and so far it seems to be benefitting a number of players. Me and Browny seem to be enjoying it and we had it again today and there are more players involved so it can only help them as well.
Who's adapted to the yoga the best?
I would probably say Youl Mawene, he's got a frightening stretch.
