Manager Simon Grayson is looking for his side to continue to build on their recent league run outs in their home game against Walsall on Tuesday night.
Speaking ahead of the Saddlers’ second trip to Deepdale this season, the North End gaffer said that his team were starting to find a rhythm that he wanted to see continuing with every game.
“Momentum is a huge thing,” he said. “Confidence and belief is a huge thing as well – this is something we have said all along.
“We suffered a bit in January, but our league form recently has been good. We have picked up three wins on the trot and we now face an opposition we know a lot of about.
“We are getting into the swing of things; how we are playing, the personnel we have available and who have come back from injury, so we are moving in the right direction.
“However, we need to be careful we do not underestimate teams – which we certainly won’t – we will keep having the belief and confidence, but also being respectful of what we need to do to achieve three points every game.
“Every game is slightly different, but you have to have the same ingredients of working hard, staying disciplined and playing for the team and not as an individual.”
The visitors are familiar foes for the Lilywhites of late – this the fourth meeting between the two sides this season, with North End yet to come out on top.
But the PNE chief is not concerned by what has gone in the past, he is just looking to continue the run of form his side have hit since the turn of the month: “We know a lot about them and regardless of who the opposition is, we want to win the game,” he continued.
“They have got a fantastic away record, like Scunthorpe had at the weekend; it is three or four months since they lost away, which is testimony to them and what they have done.
“We have had a tough time against them this season, but we did the double over them last year. We have an opportunity to go and earn another three points and we will be trying extremely hard to do that.
“We are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and I am sure they will be aware of ours given the number of times we have played each other.”
The Midland-outfit have been in fine form after a tricky start to the season was ended with a win over the Lilywhites and find themselves unbeaten on their travels in four months.
However, Scunthorpe arrived at Deepdale at the weekend with a similar record and whilst Grayson is well aware of the threats the Saddlers can pose he knows what his side is capable of as well.
“When you look at Walsall they don’t change their system or the way they play too often. They have had Bradshaw, the leading goalscorer out the last few games, but he could be back.
“They have brought in the young forward from Manchester City, Jordy Hiwula, who has scored three goals in four games and when you have a record like they do away from home, it just shows what you are capable of doing.
“We have to test them. We will draw from the positives in the games we have played against them. The game in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy could have been all over in the first half, but that is history, we have to do the things we think that can hurt them in as many areas as possible. We are looking forward to it and hopefully we can build on what we’ve been doing at this moment in time,” he added.
“Momentum is a huge thing,” he said. “Confidence and belief is a huge thing as well – this is something we have said all along.
“We suffered a bit in January, but our league form recently has been good. We have picked up three wins on the trot and we now face an opposition we know a lot of about.
“We are getting into the swing of things; how we are playing, the personnel we have available and who have come back from injury, so we are moving in the right direction.
“However, we need to be careful we do not underestimate teams – which we certainly won’t – we will keep having the belief and confidence, but also being respectful of what we need to do to achieve three points every game.
“Every game is slightly different, but you have to have the same ingredients of working hard, staying disciplined and playing for the team and not as an individual.”
The visitors are familiar foes for the Lilywhites of late – this the fourth meeting between the two sides this season, with North End yet to come out on top.
But the PNE chief is not concerned by what has gone in the past, he is just looking to continue the run of form his side have hit since the turn of the month: “We know a lot about them and regardless of who the opposition is, we want to win the game,” he continued.
“They have got a fantastic away record, like Scunthorpe had at the weekend; it is three or four months since they lost away, which is testimony to them and what they have done.
“We have had a tough time against them this season, but we did the double over them last year. We have an opportunity to go and earn another three points and we will be trying extremely hard to do that.
“We are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and I am sure they will be aware of ours given the number of times we have played each other.”
The Midland-outfit have been in fine form after a tricky start to the season was ended with a win over the Lilywhites and find themselves unbeaten on their travels in four months.
However, Scunthorpe arrived at Deepdale at the weekend with a similar record and whilst Grayson is well aware of the threats the Saddlers can pose he knows what his side is capable of as well.
“When you look at Walsall they don’t change their system or the way they play too often. They have had Bradshaw, the leading goalscorer out the last few games, but he could be back.
“They have brought in the young forward from Manchester City, Jordy Hiwula, who has scored three goals in four games and when you have a record like they do away from home, it just shows what you are capable of doing.
“We have to test them. We will draw from the positives in the games we have played against them. The game in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy could have been all over in the first half, but that is history, we have to do the things we think that can hurt them in as many areas as possible. We are looking forward to it and hopefully we can build on what we’ve been doing at this moment in time,” he added.