Preston bullish for Wolves clash

Alex Neil’s team took the game to Wolves and, after somehow finding themselves 3-0 down, almost produced an unlikely comeback when pulling it back to 3-2 in the latter stages of an entertaining clash which certainly didn’t lack passion.

There were skirmishes, dodgy refereeing decisions and a red card in a game that threatened to boil over.

With 5,600 Wolves fans travelling up the M6, the stage is set for another thriller.

Tom Barkhuizen had plenty to say before that game, stating Wolves ‘can’t not go up’ after their transfer outlay of last summer.

And the forward is in confident mood ahead of tomorrow’s rematch.

“I think we’ve shown this season we can match anyone,” he said.

“We’ve got Wolves who are top of the league and flying but if anyone’s given them a game this season it’s probably us.

“We went there and we were unlucky to go 3-0 down. We were all looking around wondering how it was that score at the time.”

Defender Tommy Spurr shares Barkhuizen’s bullishness.

“Anyone that knows us as a group and knows the gaffer, knows we’ll have a go at them and it won’t be an easy game for them,” he said.

“I’m sure they’ll know they’ve been in a game afterwards. We’re going in looking to win the game. They’ll be aware of that as well. They’re coming to our ground.

“Hopefully we can get after them at the weekend and put a dent in their title hopes.

“We’ve done our work on them this week with the gaffer and the lads will carry out exactly what he says.”

Given Preston’s recent form, this isn’t just empty rhetoric. Neil’s side have lost only once in their past 15 league games and currently sit seventh in the Championship, three points off the play-offs, after last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Brentford.

With several key players currently sidelined through injury or suspension, Neil is certainly pleased with how his team just keep on going.

“We have had one loss in 15 league games now, that is an incredible run at this level,” he added.

“If you had offered us a draw from the Brentford game beforehand, I think we would probably have taken that.

“Had you told the Preston fans that we would be without Tom Clarke, Ben Davies and Ben Pearson, you would have thought ‘this is going to be a tough one’.”

Barkhuizen added: “We’ve just got to stay in and around it.

“We’ve gone under the radar and probably don’t get the recognition we deserve, especially from the outside. But that’s how we like it.”