Midfielder Ben Whiteman backing PNE to give somebody a 'hammering' in the Championship

The 26-year-old, who made the move to Deepdale from Doncaster Rovers in January 2021, believes the goals could come in droves as soon as their luck turns.

Ryan Lowe's side have lacked conviction in front of goal so far this season — netting once in five games in the Championship — but they were clinical in their Carabao Cup tie away at Huddersfield Town earlier this month.

And former Sheffield United man Whiteman has a growing feeling that an unexpecting rival is going to be on the receiving end of a similar score-line when everything clicks into place.

Asked if a team in the second tier was due a 'hammering', he responded: "Yes, I think so. If you look at Huddersfield (in the Carabao Cup) we played them off the park and rightly went in with a three-goal lead at half-time.

"I think somebody else will be on the end of that soon if we keep our standards up and keep maintaining the form that we've been in. Once one goes in in the league, I'm sure we'll get a few more."

PNE broke the deadlock in their third game of the campaign, when Brad Potts' goal of the season contender sealed all three points against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.

But they failed to find a way past Swedish stopper Viktor Johansson just days later, despite dominating at home to newcomers Rotherham United.

After firing another blank against promotion favourites Watford, Whiteman continued: "Getting goals is a collective. We all need to chip in, it's not just on the strikers.

"We are creating numerous amount of chances and dominating both play and territory in the opponent's half. It is literally just about finishing it off and putting the ball in the back of the net."

It’s been a completely different story at the opposite end of the pitch, however. Summer signing Freddie Woodman has yet to concede a league goal since his switch from Newcastle United, meaning PNE are the only side of the 92 clubs in the top four tiers of English football with a zero in their ‘GA’ column.

Following a remarkable run of clean sheets — against Wigan Athletic, Hull City, the Hatters, the Millers and the Hornets — Rochdale-born Whiteman is keen to keep building on those foundations.

Ahead of the weekend trip to Cardiff City, he said: "If you'd have offered us that at the start of the season - five clean sheets - you'd have thought we were fighting at the top of the league.

“It's not to be, but we're building that foundation. Freddie [Woodman] has come in and he's been excellent so far. We have got that foundation there to build on and now it's about putting our chances away.

"It's a team performance. It's the same going forward, when we've all got to chip in, and it's the same going the other way as well. It's not just the defensive lads and Fred, it's the whole group. We've kept some good teams out as well so we can definitely take courage from that."