PNE's Spurr hopes injury issues are over after frustrating start

The summer signing from Blackburn Rovers has found his progress halted at Deepdale by first an ankle injury picked up at Chorley in pre-season and then a recent bout of flu.

The 29-year-old defender made his fifth start for the club in the 2-2 draw at Brighton on Saturday in place of the suspended Greg Cunningham and admits it’s been tough going with the Lilywhites thus far.

“It’s been frustrating for me so far,” said Spurr.

“Just to get a game of any sort is a positive.

“It’s just been stop-start. I always feel like I’m catching up and not quite getting there.

“For gaffer to show the faith in me to just stick me straight in is good though.”

Spurr has impressed more often than not when he’s got his chance but knows he has plenty of competition for a regular spot in Simon Grayson’s side.

With Cunningham having served a one-game ban for five yellow cards the left-footer knows even a solid display going in both directions at the Amex Stadium might not be enough to keep him in the side against another of the early-season pace-setters, Huddersfield, at Deepdale on Wednesday night.

“I’ll just take whatever comes for me,” he said.

“Greg’s done really well and it’s down to the manager.

“I’ll accept whatever and just keep working hard.

“That’s what I do. I don’t cause trouble and stamp my feet I’ll just get on with it either way.”

The most recent injury setback saw the Leeds-born stopper suffer from flu alongside Liam Grimshaw, both missing a couple of weeks of action.

“I was off for a week and then I came back training and had nothing in me,” Spurr said.

“It took a bit to get back into it.

“It’s done me good to get 90 minutes on Saturday because I’ve not done much since I’ve been ill.”

The Brighton performance saw Spurr and the rest of the PNE backline up against it for long periods before sealing a late point thanks to Simon Makienok’s stoppage-time header.

“To come to a place like Brighton who are flying and take a point in the end it’s obviously a positive,” he said.

“We rode our luck at times and defended a lot but shows the character that we’ve got in the changing room to keep going.

“You never know what you can get in the end and it’s a big result away from home.”

It is a point that keeps up North End’s encouraging pre-international break form, Grayson’s Lilywhites now unbeaten in five games in all competitions.

Things get no easier with Brighton the first in a run of games against the Championship’s top four before the end of the month.

“We showed that we can stick in there and defend well.” Spurr said.

“Away from home you take your points however they come. We just managed to stay in there and Si’s come up with a great header in the end.

“At home we’ll try and win our games and I know it sounds simple but that’s what we’ll try and do.”