PNE defender's ready for next challenge

The Addicks are bottom of the table and former Blackpool boss Jose Riga is the third manager to have been in charge of them this season.

But there will be no let-up from North End, with defender Paul Huntington insisting their approach will not change as they chase a fourth straight win.

“It will be a different kind of game than Saturday but our focus and work-rate has to be the same,” said Huntington.

“Charlton are scrapping for points to avoid relegation, they have changed manager and some of their team since we last played them.

“We certainly won’t be taking them lightly because every game in this division is a tough one, regardless of league positions.

“As a team, we are on a good run at the moment and we want to keep that going.”

The 1-0 win over Wednesday lifted PNE up to 10th place and raised talk of a late push for the play-offs.

It was a 14th clean sheet of the season in league action, a statistic which Huntington is understandably proud of.

“We built off the win away at Wolves and put in a very good performance against Sheffield Wednesday,” said Huntington.

“The team as a collective put in a really good shift to restrict them to no shots on goal.

“In the first half we had some chances – Tom Clarke put a shot just wide and Joe Garner had a header saved – while Wednesday had some possession without hurting us.

“We spoke at half-time about getting stronger as the second half went on and that happened. The system worked well and to keep another clean sheet was pleasing. That was not just about the defence doing their jobs, the five lads across the middle of the pitch worked really hard.

“We have the personnel and ability to adapt to different formations, whether that is changing between games or during a match.

“Everyone is clear on their roles and responsibilities, whoever gets the nod.

“You look at the goalkeeper situation we’ve had this season with Jordan Pickford, Sam Johnstone and now Anders Lindegaard being here.

“The change between them has been almost seamless, which is testament to the keepers themselves and 
the lads playing in front of them.

“In terms of what we want from the season, we will just focus one game at a time.

“At the start of the season, we didn’t set any specific targets or aims, it was just to do as well as we can.

“Obviously we are confident at the moment with the way the results have been.

“The games are flying by – after the weekend there are only a dozen games left.”

Preston got a helping hand from Fernando Forestieri in Saturday’s game, the Owls front man getting himself a red card for simulation and deliberate handball.

It was goalless at the time of his dismissal, with North End hitting their winner within seven minutes of him going for an early bath.

Said Huntington: “The lad had maybe gone down a bit easily before that.

There was one in the first half with Bailey Wright when he got a free-kick and another one after that.

“The third one he got the booking for and then the handball was strange – the ref didn’t have any choice.”

The weekend victory was a good way for Simon Grayson to mark three years in charge of North End.

Huntington is one of four current first-team players who Grayson inherited on his arrival in 2013 – Wright, John Welsh and Joe Garner being the others.

For a section of Grayson’s tenure, 28-year-old Huntington was very much on the fringes of the squad.

But for the last 16 months, the Cumbrian had been one of the mainstays of the defence.

“Without a doubt, the gaffer has taken us forward leaps and bounds,” said Huntington.

“A lot of credit must go to him and his staff for the way the squad had progressed and grown. People have been added along the way and hopefully that improvement and progression will continue to happen year on year.

“We will see where it takes us and this is an exciting time to be here.

“The gaffer works very hard with us, both as a group and on our individual game.”