Patrick Bauer is hoping PNE can extend their unbeaten run against Stoke City, but with a win rather than a fifth successive draw.
North End have gone eight games in all competitions without a defeat, a run which began with the home victory over Peterborough United in August.
It’s been four draws in a row, though, for Frankie McAvoy’s men, the most recent of those coming against Birmingham at the weekend, and Pat admits it would have been nice to turn a few of those into victories.
He told iFollow PNE: “Obviously we would have liked to get more wins out of those eight games, but we are full of confidence and looking forward to the game tomorrow under the lights for the first time at Deepdale in the Championship [this season] so we are looking forward to it.
“I think everyone will look at our results and see that we are a team that’s tough to beat and they know it will be a fight against us and hopefully we can get three points tomorrow.
“We want to win the game tomorrow, we don’t just want to be unbeaten, we want to win and get the three points.”
The run of form has incidentally corresponded with the German’s return to the team; he was an unused substitute for the opening three league fixtures, but has started the last six.
He’s been used at the centre of a back three, alongside Andrew Hughes and Jordan Storey, and while Frankie McAvoy has been using that system since he took over as interim head coach, Pat was out injured at that point so it was new to him on his return.
“I missed it last season but I settled in really well,” said the 28-year-old. “They [Hughes and Storey] are very good players but not just them, the wing backs as well and obviously the whole team.
“I felt really strong defensively in the last [few] games, we didn’t concede many goals. It’s always important if up front you’re not scoring many goals that at least defensively you try to keep a clean sheet and hopefully we can be defensively solid tomorrow and score a couple of goals.”
While the game against Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup was a night under the lights at Deepdale, it will be the first time for supporters to come to a Tuesday night Championship game at home since December 2019.
Everybody in football has noted the major impact the return of supporters has had on the whole occasion of matches and Pat emphasised that point himself.
“It’s so much better to be honest,” he said. “Last time I played [before injury] there were no supporters at all and it’s just a completely different feeling. You have this buzz just to be in front of the supporters again and this atmosphere, the adrenalin, it’s just so good to have them back.
“Especially at home we have been really good so far at home apart from the first game of the season, we want to definitely get the three points tomorrow.”
Watch Pat's full interview on iFollow PNE at the top of this page.