Callum's using his head

Callum Robinson admitted he could have bagged a hat-trick in Preston North End's win at bottom side Rotherham United.
Callum Robinson (left) and Jordan Hugill in the thick of things at the New York StadiumCallum Robinson (left) and Jordan Hugill in the thick of things at the New York Stadium
Callum Robinson (left) and Jordan Hugill in the thick of things at the New York Stadium

The 21-year-old scored PNE’s second in their 3-1 win at the New York Stadium on Saturday but saw other chances come and go on a day where the visitors more than merited the three points.

Jordan Hugill and Marnick Vermijl, after Richard Wood had reduced the arrears 20 minutes from time, were also on target as Simon Grayson’s men moved up to 11th in the table just three points off the play-offs.

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Robinson’s strike was his third of the season and second header, something which has come after some hard work at North End’s training base.

“I’ve been working on it since pre-season,” he said.

“I’m just trying to get as many goals as possible and I could have had a few more this afternoon but I’m really happy with the result and the goal.

“I probably could have picked up a few more goals which normally would have gone in for me with my feet but I’ll take the header.

“We’ve had some big games and we knew coming here was going to be a test mentally.

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“We’ve been really confident though and now we’ve got the result the lads are buzzing.”

Robinson’s goal was laid on by a perfect chipped cross from the returning Aiden McGeady, the pair causing the struggling Millers defence problems all afternoon.

Both roamed freely as the hosts toiled, Kenny Jackett’s side rock bottom and eight points from safety after their latest defeat.

“Aiden’s got real class,” said former Aston Villa man Robinson. “He’s done it at Celtic and in bits at Everton and we know what kind of player we’ve got in McGeady.

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“We’re really happy to have him with us. I had one chance five or 10 minutes before his goal where he’s done a stepover, a big of magic and then it just didn’t come off for me.

“The second one I just made sure I got the goal.”

McGeady and Robinson were part of some scintillating counter-attacking play from Grayson’s side in the second half, culminating in Vermijl’s decisive third goal after he slid in to convert a Daniel Johnson cross.

“They’re down there but we knew they were going to come at us,” said Robinson.

“Fair play – they got the goal and for 10 minutes they did well.

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“On the other hand we can counter-attack though with the pace we’ve got with Geads, myself and Jordan when he was on.

“We knew it was going to come in the game.

“They’re at home and we just had to soak it up.”

It is a result that leaves PNE in a promising position going into the international break, ahead of the return to action against Wolves at Deepdale on November 19.

Despite being within touching distance of the top seven no one is getting carried away, however.

“We didn’t start well but we’ve been slowly getting results,” said Robinson.

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“We had a hard month playing the big teams but got the results.

“Now we have to keep beating teams around us.

“We’ve got a few tough games coming up at home and hopefully things can keep going our way.

“We’ll just take it game by game and hopefully it stays positive.”