Preston skipper Andy Procter spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's League One game against Carlisle at Brunton Park tomorrow evening, midfielder Procter first looking back on North End's 2-1 win at Exeter on Saturday :
“Obviously we needed a win with the way the results have been going recently, we wanted to put on a performance for the fans who travelled a long way down and I thought we did that on Saturday. I think we have been a little bit unlucky with the recent 0-0 results at Deepdale, I think if we could have scored one maybe the floodgates would have opened. Unfortunately it hasn’t happened and we have had to roll our sleeves up and really dig deep, on Saturday particularly after they equalised.
“Iain Hume has come in and he is a proven goalscorer and thankfully he did his job for us on Saturday. Obviously for the fans to travel all that way and get behind the boys was fantastic, I think the lads showed their appreciation for them at the end of the game and made a point of going and applauding them. We will have a meeting and go through the good points from the game and maybe points where we can improve, and we will look to take them onto the training ground and apply them on Tuesday.
“I am enjoying being captain, it is always difficult coming into a new club, the gaffer (Graham Westley) has made me captain because of the circumstances at the club when he arrived. I think everyone is getting used to the new environment, hopefully we can put a run together now, the lads have got used to each other, they know the style of football and the way the gaffer wants to play. So, hopefully we can start applying what we have been working on on the training ground.
“Our days off are just pure recovery days at the moment making sure you eat right, go out and do a bit of a cool down and preparing for the next game. My legs feel alright to be honest, I was in this situation at Accrington last year, we had a lot of games called off over Christmas so pretty much for Christmas to the end of the season I was playing Saturday-Tuesday every week. So, I am accustomed to it and I think it stands me in good stead.
“It will be a tough game at Carlisle, obviously they are on the brink of the play-offs, we know they are a well organised outfit with some real good players. But, I think if we can put a performance on like we did at Exeter, all really round one another and maybe take it on another level then I think we will be more than a match for them. I think a good following makes a massive difference, it gives the lads a huge boost seeing the number of people that have travelled that far to come and watch us and hopefully we can replicate that again on Tuesday.
“The travelling in this league can be difficult but it is part and parcel of league football nowadays. The games are flying by, it is literally play a game, recover, prepare for the next game. It can be quite relentless but I think all the lads are up to the task. We have got the likes of Neil Mellor coming back soon, obviously Iain Hume has come back and made an immediate impact. If we can get those sorts of lads in and around the dressing room then it can only improve us.”