Lee Holmes enjoyed the 90 minutes he played against Blackburn on Tuesday night, in PNE’s 1-1 draw with Rovers at Deepdale.
The winger gave Todd Kane a tough time all evening, using his trickery and pace to outwit the on-loan defender, and while Holmes admits there is still a lot to work on before the season starts he thinks North End can be proud of their performance in the stalemate.
“I thought it was good, I think there’s a lot to improve on and also a lot to be pleased about,” he told PNE.Com following the game.
“I thought, at times, we got the ball down well, passed it and there was some good movement, we looked solid but, as I say, there are things we can learn from and get better at but it was a good step in the right direction.”
The game was played in a competitive spirit, with tackles flying in from both sides – something Lee puts down to the start of the League One and Championship campaigns drawing nearer.
“Obviously both teams are near on the season so both teams are looking to take this into the season and start well so this is like a normal game for us and something we’re trying to build on and make as competitive as we can, same as we would going into any season game,” he said.
“So, that’s credit to both teams but there’s a lot of positives to come out of it.”
After such an evenly matched encounter, the 26-year-old conceded he wouldn’t be surprised if the statistics were shared equally between both sides.
“There were times when we tired in the game and they had a bit of possession and likewise we had the possession in periods when they were probably tired so I think there was a bit of cat and mouse,” Holmes added.
“Never forget that they’re a top Championship team and they’ll be there challenging with what they’ve got at the Club for promotion to the Premier League.”
Summer signing Kevin Davies bagged his first Preston goal on his home debut for the Club, with Holmes providing the killer assist from a corner, and the midfielder was quick to praise his new teammate’s no-nonsense style of play.
“Kev’s great in the box, if you put the ball in the right areas, he’s going to get on the end of it,” he said.
“No defence will want to handle what he’s about I there so I think it’s all about getting the right service to him and then he’ll do what he does and thankfully I put the ball in the right area today and got him a goal so I think he’ll be pleased with that.
“He could end up getting quite a few goals this season which is great for the team.”
With five pre-season games down, there are just two more to go before the Lilywhites host Wolves on the opening day of the season, and Holmes is pleased with how he is shaping up for the new campaign.
“I feel good, I feel fit, I still need a little bit of sharpness and we’ve got a little bit of time to work on that now but physically I feel pretty fit,” he said.
“I think there’s a few things we can work on so all in all I feel good with the season coming up.”