Preston North End defender Sean St. Ledger aims to finish the current season on a high and aims to do that with the help of the Town End band.

The Republic of Ireland international has been one of the Club's most consistent performers after returning from a loan spell at last Tuesday's opponents Middlesbrough. The centre-half has always had a special rapport with the North End support and he admits that that has increased following the recent reintroduction of the Club's Town End band.

"I've not heard them play any rap songs yet," St. Ledger joked as he gave praise to the Club's football musicians.

"They have made a big difference, that little bit of noise is brilliant and you have to say thank-you to all the people who come with their musical instruments every week, I imagine it must be difficult bringing those things through the turnstiles every week. It's much appreciated.

"The Deepdale crowd can still play a massive part for us because this season is not dead and buried for us, there is still a lot to play for, whether that's a battle against relegation or the Play-Offs.

"It's a tight league, everyone is taking points off of everyone else and it is down to us which way we want our season to go. If we can't make the Play-Offs then we want to finish as high up in the league as possible just for personal pride and hopefully for those same reasons people want to come to games.

"The noise makes a massive difference. The one thing I can remember from the QPR games last year was the atmosphere, it felt like everyone was so involved with the game. Sometimes it can be naturally quiet but that day there was real tension when we were 2-1 up and everyone was spurring us on to keep the goal out, and at 1-1 everyone was pushing us on to score the goal. You can actually feel all that on the pitch, it's a strange feeling."

St. Ledger has special memories of that QPR match on the final game of the regular season, it was his second half goal which sensationally propelled North End into the Play-Off zone in dramatic circumstances.

He said: "It was a great feeling, it is always a good feeling when you score but that extra importance to the goal put us into the Play-Offs. One of the main things I remember from that game is Carts [Darren Carter] clearing it off the line in the last minute, that was massive, just as important as me scoring really.

"I remember QPR played very well that day, they made it a tough game when nobody thought they would have been that bothered really. They even sent their keeper up in the last minute of the game so it meant a lot to them and it shows what good characters they have got in their squad."

Some of those characters in that QPR squad will be returning to Deepdale on Saturday, but it's the return of another 'character' that Ledge admits that he's looking forward to - QPR's new manager Neil Warnock.

"They are a good side but they are just like Jekyll and Hyde, you don't really know what you are going to get from them, they have got a lot of good players in their squad so we expect a tough game from them. We know that their manager, Neil Warnock, will be straight into them.

"I like him, I think he is a great character and you need people like that in football because you don't see too many of them about, they are a dying breed. You've probably got Barry [Fry] and Harry [Redknapp] who are quite eccentric but he is one of them, he's outspoken and I like it that he says what he thinks.

"He's a great character but I am sure he is a great motivator in the changing room, but they won't need too much motivation as they are below us in the table and they have the threat of relegation just as much as we do. It's an important game and if we can get the three points then it will take us further away from the relegation zone."

With his loan spell at Middlesbrough and his international duty with the Republic of Ireland, St. Ledger has had more central-defensive partners than most this season, and he might have another one following Elliott Ward's arrival at the Club. St. Ledger revealed that he is no stranger to Ward and he's confident that Preston fans will see the best from the Coventry loanee.

"I was at Peterborough with him when he came on loan from West Ham and he's an excellent footballer, he was schooled at West Ham so he is technically very good and obviously he has got a great size. I have to say that I am surprised he is not playing for Coventry because I know the capability that he has got. He's a great capture for us and I know that he can't wait to start playing.

"He is playing for his career, he's putting himself in the shop window by playing football for us and I suppose he wants as many deals on the table as he can get. That can only be good for us, I am sure he will give is 100 per cent effort, he's come to Preston because he wants to, I'm sure he had another couple of offers on the table but he's come here because he fancies it."

St. Ledger will be hopeful that Ward's arrival can help spark a surge up the table, the defender wants to ward off any fears of relegation as soon as possible. More performances like Tuesday night's at Middlesbrough will be a step in the right direction.

"We have just got to try and keep it up. The first aim is to survive, we are not too far the relegation zone and if we lose a couple then things get very tight," he said.

"If we can put a run together, like Reading have done losing just one out of their last nine, then that can propel you right up the table. There's still a lot to play for this season."

Can Sean St. Ledger reclaim his Player of the Year crown from Jon Parkin? Tickets are still available for the Club's prestigious Player of the Year event. Call our commercial team now on 01772 693311 to book your seat!