Preston North End man opens up 'really frustrating' spell after key role in beating Sheffield Wednesday
The midfielder had a game to remember on New Year’s Day
Ali McCann had a dream start to the new year in a 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
A goal, an assist and named Player of the Match after the game was a fine way to start 2026 on New Year’s Day. McCann’s calm finish on 28 minutes opened the scoring and it was his first in 15 months, the last coming back in October 2024 in another 3-0 win over Watford. The Northern Irishman was pleased with his goal but wants that feeling on a more frequent basis.
“Yeah it’s nice,” McCann told BBC Radio Lancashire, “it’s been ages since I last scored, I think it was Watford here, the last goal, so too long on my part but nice to get back on the scoresheet and I’ll hopefully get a few more before the season finishes.
“I think the last couple of years I've not contributed enough in that sense. To be honest, since I've been out with my arm I've been doing loads of finishing stuff and little bits so it’s nice to see it pay off.
“It was a good pass from Jamal (Lewis). It kind of made me take the touch through and then it kind of just opened up and I managed to put it in the corner.”
McCann’s assist for Lewis Dobbin’s goal - the third and final of the match - was the penultimate part of a great team move from one end of the pitch to the other.
“I was going to shoot again but I heard Dobbo just shout so I had to let it off to him!” McCann said, “And then he stuck it away, so that capped off the game quite nicely. The lads have contributed with goals and assists this year and it's just nice to sort of get the ball rolling for me since I've been over the injury.”
The game was only McCann’s second start since his return from the arm injury which kept him out for two months.
Speaking about a ‘frustrating’ time on the sidelines, McCann said: “It’s a weird injury because I was training for ages and couldn't do contact so it's nice to always get 90 minutes under the belt and then hopefully I can just carry on now. I pretty much had my operation and I was running a couple of weeks after so I had to do a good four weeks non-contact training which was really frustrating.”
McCann later added to the Lancashire Post: “I always had the day in my head with the surgeon after the op, giving me the time scale so I was working towards that. It was quite slow but there was nothing I could do so it's just nice to get back in and to play 90 today was really pleasing.”
‘Really tough player to play against’
Sheffield Wednesday’s key player and captain continues to be Barry Bannan, who has served the club for over a decade and stuck with them through a turbulent time.
On going up against the Scotsman, McCann told the Lancashire Post: “It's always difficult to play against him, he's played in the Championship for years and he's a really tough player to play against.
“He's really clever and sharp with his movements and so it's one you've always got to be on guard for him, when he's got the ball in particular.
“But yeah, it was a good game for us, I think we're good value for our win in the end and it’s an enjoyable one.”