Huddersfield Town host Preston North end this evening
Darren Moore is looking for his Huddersfield Town side to start turning “draws into wins” as they take on Preston North End next up at the John Smith’s Stadium this evening. The Terriers are unbeaten in four matches following Saturday’s 1-1 home draw against Bristol City, with three draws and one victory registered in that run.
Town have made a habit of drawing games since Moore took charge in September, with seven of the manager’s 13 matches ending in deadlock to date. The Terriers have made themselves more defensively solid following some heavy defeats early in Moore’s reign, with just five goals conceded in the last six matches, but the manager has acknowledged that his side needs to start picking up more wins.
“The assessment for me and the group of players is that when we first came in, we felt that in terms of getting to understand and know the squad and the individuals within the squad, there was a process going on there,” he said at this morning’s press conference.
“We had to deal with our fair share of injuries like anybody else, which disjointed the team. We felt in a position where we were forced to do things that we might not have done but we had to do, but it’s the adaptability that this game can serve, which we did and have done.
“By doing that, it’s seen us maintain and stay in games longer, cause more of a threat to the opposition longer, and that’s why those performances have turned into draws. We’ve picked up a win in there, but there are draws. But what’s happening with the team is that we’ve shown a lot more solidity than we were probably five or six weeks ago.
“The aim for us is to continue along that process, but we really want to turn those draws into wins. The team’s moving in the right direction, and we need to continue to do so.”
No other side has drawn as many games as Town’s nine in the Championship this season, but with just four wins to their name from 20 matches, the Terriers remain fourth from bottom in the table on 21 points ahead of tomorrow evening’s clash. Moore’s side are just two points above the bottom three ahead of kick-off, but with some teams around them in the table playing on Wednesday, Town will move up at least three places should they win tomorrow night.
“A couple of back-to-back wins can really see you right up into the mid-table, because that’s been the championship for season after season, and it’s going to be no different this season,” the manager added. “Everybody will take points off one another throughout the season; it’s proving that way again. It’s a tight division from top to bottom, and it shows the competitive nature of the division.
“Here at Huddersfield Town, we’re just focusing on us, and we spoke earlier about the four-game run we’ve been on. We know we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, and if we can continue to build on those performances, we’ll see the right results and continue to climb the league.”
Town welcome ninth-placed Preston to the John Smith’s Stadium for tomorrow’s encounter, who have registered eight points more than the Terriers at this stage of the season. Ryan Lowe’s side made a flying start to the campaign, with six wins from their opening seven matches, leaving them top of the league in mid-September, but the Lilywhites have won just two of their 13 matches since.
“I think they’ll probably feel that, in terms of results over the last few weeks, they’ve probably not been at what they feel they should’ve been at,” Moore said.
“We don’t look at the past form guide; we just look at both teams coming head-to-head tomorrow night, so we know we have to be prepared as we’ve always done and will do, and we’ve got to make sure tomorrow that we need to perform; it’s really as simple as that. It’s another tough game, but it’s another game that we’re looking forward to.”
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