'It can be' - Preston North End man opens up after rare outings against West Brom and Stoke City

Preston North End goalkeeper Dai Cornell tried to block out the occasion last Saturday, as he made his first league start, at Deepdale, for the club.

It has been a long time coming for the Welshman, who joined the Lilywhites in the summer of 2022 after leaving Peterborough United. Since then, the shot-stopper has made six appearances across all competitions for PNE - four in the Championship and two in the Carabao Cup.

Last week saw him play his first two games under manager Paul Heckingbottom, with number one Freddie Woodman having been sent off, late in the day, at Stoke City. Cornell came on for the closing stages of the 0-0 draw and then started against West Brom, four days later.

Karlan Grant lofted a tidy effort over the Welshman early door, but on the whole it was a steady showing from Cornell - who was protected well by Preston’s defenders. Post-match, the 33-year-old reflected on the last few days, but also his role at the football club.

“I love training every day,” said Cornell. “I love the atmosphere at the training ground, coming in and working as hard as I can. I guess at times it can be tough, but it’s not losing the hope that there may be an opportunity around the corner - as there has been this week. It can be difficult, but I think my attitude towards day-to-day will help me if I am needed.

“Obviously, the plan was to play as well as I can, help the team as much as possible and then what will be, will be. It’s a role where I’m trying to push Freddie every single day, as much as I can. When it comes to games I’ll be his biggest supporter when he is playing, to try and get the best out of him, for the team. At the same time, I’m trying to pass bits and bobs on to the younger lads, each day, to help them improve.”

Cornell’s opportunity in the Potteries came after a tough moment for his team mate, and good friend, in Woodman. Both players signed for North End in the same summer and Woodman has been first choice ever since. This campaign has been up and down for the 27-year-old, but Cornell expects him to bounce back from the disappointment of Stoke.

“Yeah, I think Freddie is a strong character, so it won’t affect him too much,” said Cornell. “When he came in from the game, he obviously didn’t know what happened once he got sent off. I was filthy, so I told him I saved a penalty and had to make a couple of saves. I got a laugh out of him, but I think he was probably relieved it didn’t affect the result in the end.

“We kind of hit it off from day one, really. I have been on his stag do, been to his wedding. We have had a lot of good times together and I think that helps. Obviously, day-to-day we work really hard, but at the same time we are really competitive with each other. We play silly, little games and end up, not at blows, but really competitive, which is good for the working environment.”

The former Peterborough, Ipswich and Northampton man had watched from the dugout until the last two fixtures. North End will head into Saturday’s clash at Sheffield Wednesday in 18th spot, seven points adrift of the 12th placed hosts. Cornell assures the mood in camp has not dipped, despite Preston being towards the bottom end of the division.

“Yeah, I know the league table is the league table,” said Cornell. “But, I think performances as a whole have probably deserved more points than we’ve picked up. Even if you look at (the West Brom match), if it had been 2-1, nobody would’ve argued. So, it is a good atmosphere.

“There is a mixture of disappointment in the dressing room (post-WBA), but also being pleased with the way we - in my opinion - dominated the second half. I think the signs are good for where we want to go. First and foremost, if the performances are right, the results will come.”