Ryan Lowe hails goal threat of Will Keane and Mads Frokjaer after draw

Posted Sunday, August 06, 2023 by PA

Ryan Lowe expects his Preston team to have more goal power this season following impressive starts by summer signings Will Keane and Mads Frokjaer in a 1-1 draw against Bristol City.

Keane marked the beginning of his second spell as a North End player with an opportunist late equaliser at Ashton Gate, while Frokjaer also played a key role in a determined fightback after
Sam Bell’s 47th-minute strike had threatened to give City a winning start.

Lowe was delighted with his team’s efforts and said: “Will is capable of adding 14 goals to our team this season. That’s how many he got last season and, while I don’t want to put pressure on him, I have faith in his ability to excite our fans.

“His goal was a fantastic finish, a great swivel and a shot into the bottom corner. It showed that if we give him opportunities, he will score for us.

“Mads has fantastic quality, which is why we have invested heavily in him. I see him also scoring goals, but he has to get up to speed with the Championship because it is a ruthless league.”

Lowe was also full of praise for 17-year-old defender Kian Best after a first senior appearance packed with promise.

“Kian is still only a baby and got cramp at the end,” said the manager. “But he worked his socks off and was intelligent in his passing range. His quality on the ball is different class and I have never been afraid to throw young players into my teams if they are good enough.

“I thought the whole team were fantastic. The players did all we asked of them off the ball in the first half and in the second we created enough chances to feel unlucky not to take all three points.

“Bristol’s goal worked against them in a way. We really got our backsides in gear after it and had them on the ropes, but I’ll take a point away at Bristol City, who have some very good players.”

City boss Nigel Pearson was asked about the absence from his team of £25million-rated midfielder Alex Scott, a transfer target for several Premier League clubs.

He said: “Alex developed a problem with a knee two or three days ago and he will be fine once we get the swelling down.

“When his name is not on the team sheet, people will make different assumptions, but that is the truth of the matter. Alex is injured and hopefully we will get him back for next weekend.

“Outside of that, I can’t really comment on how things will develop with Alex. We have put a valuation on him as a club and it’s important we protect our assets. I’m not saying a move won’t happen, but it has to be on our terms.”

Of the game, Pearson added: “It was a stop-start affair. We are disappointed not to win after taking the lead, but Preston created some chances and will feel they deserved something.

“It was a reminder of how tough the Championship is. They came with a plan to be difficult to break down and we didn’t use the ball well enough.

“It was largely about whether we could get our full-backs forward and on the ball. For whatever reason, they were not involved in our attacking play enough.”