PNE have risen from rock bottom of the Championship on New Year's Day to 15th place going into Saturday's visit to Plymouth.

Mathematically they are not quite safe, despite reaching Alan Irvine's 54-point target, but a positive result at Home Park against play-off hopefuls Argyle should complete the job.

Carter has featured in the majority of games during the revival under Irvine, cementing his partnership with Paul McKenna in the centre of midfield.

He's done that despite the arrival of his former West Bromwich team- mate Richard Chaplow as a rival for his place in the engine room.

Birmingham-born Carter admits it has been a strange season, the first-half of the campaign a real struggle under Paul Simpson – the manager who paid £750,000 for him less than 48 hours before the campaign kicked-off.

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But the arrival of Irvine towards the end of November kicked life into the club, who were in real danger of dropping out of the Championship after eight years.

It took him a while to make his mark, but Carter says life at PNE has changed immeasurably under the former Everton No.2.

The 24-year-old said: "It's definitely been a strange season. Before Christmas, the confidence and atmosphere around the place was rock bottom.

"I think the realisation that things could turn out really bad this year hit home with a lot of the players.

"Everyone has come together and the second half of the season has been great so far."

It's fair to say there was a winter of discontent at Deepdale as the dark days of the Simpson era ended and were replaced by Irvine's revolution.

Irvine's reign started with three defeats in four games, before
successive wins at Burnley and Southampton.

Three defeats over Christmas plunged North End to the foot of the table, but thankfully it's been a gradual rise in fortunes since.

Carter said: "The doom and gloom did have an effect – you play with no confidence and you don't feel good about yourself.

"If you go into training every day and the atmosphere is low, with no one bubbling about, it can carry on into the game on a Saturday.

"It was low and there were times before Christmas when we looked at it and thought, 'Where do we go from here?' Everyone came together, it was a group thing.

"We all said we have to do this together and get ourselves out of this.

"The gaffer came in and organised everyone, preparation for games has never been so good. This season has been frustrating for me really, I've had an on-going groin problem and it's only now that I am starting to feel how I want to physically.

"Being in the team and doing well has been great for me. I'm looking to finish the campaign strongly and set the standard for next season."

To hear more from Darren Carter, pick up a copy of Friday's Lancashire Evening Post.