Exclusive Jordan Hugill PNE column

I hit that nice patch of goals recently with three in two games against Aston Villa and Ipswich, ones which were very welcome and a reward for hard work.
Celebrating scoring against Ipswich at DeepdaleCelebrating scoring against Ipswich at Deepdale
Celebrating scoring against Ipswich at Deepdale

Before that, I hadn’t scored for a little while but I didn’t regard that as a dip in form – I felt I was playing well and doing other parts of my game well.

My team play and hold-up play had been good, it was just that the goals were not coming.

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So to score twice at Villa Park a couple of weeks ago was brilliant.

The second of those goals I was almost playing on one leg after jarring my knee.

So when Aiden McGeady put that cross on my head, I was so grateful that I didn’t have to run too much!

It doesn’t matter where I score a goal, they are always gratefully received.

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But to score in front of a 32,000 crowd at Villa Park and seeing 2,700 Preston fans go wild, was special I have to admit.

The first goal that day I ran from the halfway line to the edge of the box to score.

As I’ve told the lads, it was no fluke as I did similar in the win over Cardiff earlier in the season.

If I get the space to run at the opposition, I will do it.

I’m a powerful runner, one of the fastest at the club.

My stats show that I might not be the quickest in the first five yards but once I get over 10-20-30 yards, that is when I show my pace and hit my best.

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I followed up my two goals at Villa with the equaliser against Ipswich last week.

In that game I felt sure I would get a chance and one came quite early when I put a header a bit too high.

But I continued playing in the belief that another chance would come along and it did in the 89th minute.

I was in a lot of space when the ball came in and I took the chance.

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Off I went celebrating, not realising everyone else was looking to get the ball back and get kicked-off again!

Ipswich are the club who have been showing interest in me – interest which I find flattering but I wanted to stay here, be a part of what is being built.

The transfer window now having shut is a load lifted off my shoulders – that is all gone now.

I try not to take too much notice of speculation and what might get written.

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I get paid for playing football, my job is not to get involved with anything outside that.

My agent deals with that side of things, I just want to concentrate on playing well and hopefully scoring a few more goals.

Interest has been shown in some of the other lads too and that goes to show that we must be doing something right here at Preston.

The fact that all the lads have stayed around shows what a good place this is to be at.

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It has been said before that we have a great team spirit and I cannot stress how important that is.

I don’t know if many clubs have similar to what we have here, but it is good to be a part of.

The gaffer, Glynn Snodin and Steve Thompson all contribute to that team spirit.

When we are on the pitch or out training, everyone is deadly serious about what we are doing.

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But in the dressing room and away from the pitch, we all enjoy a laugh.

Saying that, laughing and joking was the furthest thing from our minds after we lost at Cardiff on Tuesday night.

That was a tough one to take, we didn’t play well and never really got going.

The gaffer has said his piece on it and now we have to focus on playing Barnsley at Oakwell on Saturday.

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Usually when we’ve had the disappointment of being beaten, we have bounced back quickly.

We’ve not had too long to dwell on Cardiff, which is a good thing, and our training this last couple of days has been focused on what is ahead at Oakwell.

It will be a tough game at Barnsley – they have shown some good form lately.

They did lose three big players in January but they have got replacements in.

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With Barnsley being in that pack of clubs with us underneath the play-offs, taking points off them would be a big boost.

We want to push towards the play-offs – we are not a million miles away and there is a belief that we can have a good go.

You could say that we owe Barnsley one after they beat us at our place earlier in the season.

They scored quite a late goal if I remember rightly 
after we had got ourselves back into the game.

Hopefully we can do the business this time and get ourselves back on a winning track.