Ryan Lowe not concerned by lack of goals as Preston keep another clean sheet

Posted Wednesday, August 17, 2022 by PA

Preston manager Ryan Lowe hailed his players as their unbeaten start to the Championship season continued with a 0-0 draw against fellow unbeaten side Rotherham at Deepdale.

The Lilywhites are the only side in the Championship yet to concede a goal after keeping four consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the club’s history.

At the other end of the pitch things have not run so smoothly however, with Brad Potts’ goal against Luton on Saturday the only time Preston have breached the net in the Championship this season.

But Lowe refused to see the negatives in the performance after his side dominated possession and had 22 attempts on goal, stating there is no need to be concerned with the number of chances being created.

He said: “I think that was probably one of the best performances from my team since I’ve been here, but obviously, without the goals.

“We’re not scoring enough goals, but I’m certainly not disappointed with how we’re playing so far this season.

“I am proper proud of the lads, everything we’re working on in training they’re replicating out there on the pitch and the performance tonight was fantastic.

“If we weren’t creating chances I’d be concerned of course, but there’s definitely nothing to worry regarding that.

“It’s not three points, but we’ve dominated this game and if you don’t win, just make sure you don’t lose.

“I thought maybe we were going to pop one in off a ricochet or an own goal because the performance certainly warranted maximum points.

“It’s so important to keep that back door shut, I’m pleased and proud, but we just need to be turning these draws into wins now.”

Rotherham manager Paul Warne agreed that his side were lucky to escape Deepdale with a point to keep their own unbeaten run going.

He said: “Let’s not be polite here, that was a really battling point.

“We know Preston were the better side over the 90 minutes, but we’ve put in a terrific, dogged performance to come away with a point.

“I thought the first half was quite equal, but in the second half we struggled.

“We got ourselves overloaded in the midfield, but that’s what can happen against quality opposition.

“Some people might be thinking the Championship is going to be something of a breeze this season, but whoever thinks that is a lunatic – we all know how hard it is going to be.

“We’ve ended up hanging on and we’ve secured a clean sheet, so I’m really proud of the players and they should be proud of themselves.

“On another night it might have been a different story, but all our lads have put a shift in and stood up for the fight.”