Midfielder Ryan Ledson targets an immediate upturn in Preston North End's form on home turf

Midfielder Ledson has been PNE’s most consistent performer in the first two months of the season in which they put 13 points on the board away but lost all five league games at Deepdale.

They only scored once in those five games, that being Jayden Stockley’s 30-yard shot against Birmingham.

North End have two games on home turf coming up – they host Sheffield Wednesday a week on Saturday and then Blackburn three days later.

With an away double header to follow at Watford and Bournemouth, Ledson and his team-mates really need to come up with the goods at Deepdale.

Ledson said: “They are two tough games on the bounce, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn coming here.

“Blackburn is a derby, we shouldn’t need anything extra to get ourselves up for that, we know what is coming there.

“We need to find a solution at home, that is clear to see.

“I do think it’s coincidence what has happened at home.

“The way we have been playing away from home means we shouldn’t be getting beaten here all the time, there shouldn’t be that difference.”

Ledson has started 10 of Preston’s 11 Championship matches this season.

He scored his first goal for PNE in last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Rotherham, the loss very much taking the edge off the strike from the edge of the penalty area.

Goals have not been too much of a feature of the 166 matches of his career to date.

“That was my fifth one so don’t expect too many more,” said Ledson.

“I’d like to score more but sometimes I play deeper.

“If I can chip in with a few more to help the team, that would be great.”

Prior to the weekend, Ledson’s last goal had come for Oxford in February 2018.

That was one of four he got in U’s colours in two seasons at the Kassam Stadium.

North End manager Alex Neil has backed Ledson to score slightly more often.

He was pleased to see the 23-year-old on target in the Rotherham game.

Neil said: “Ryan is a danger in and around the box because he has got a good shot

on him.

“He showed what he could do with that finish and I’m sure more will come.

“I thought he did very well at Rotherham in general, he fought his corner and there were moments when he was the one taking the ball and finding that better pass.

“He was the player who I would have given pass marks too.

“On the day there were too many lads who didn’t pass the ball well enough.”

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