Preston left-back Andrew Hughes on giving his 'goal' to Brad Potts and getting pins and needles against Middlesbrough
Andrew Hughes would have been forgiven had he tried to claim Preston North End’s first goal in the midweek victory against Middlesbrough.
The left-back hasn’t found the net since February 2019 when PNE won 3-1 at Millwall – a run of 43 games for him.
It was Hughes’ shot which took a touch off Brad Potts to beat Boro keeper Marcus Bettinelli.
Most watchers thought it was Hughes’ goal until the replays showed Potts had got a decisive touch.
Hughes said: “I’m happy for Brad to take it, I think the shot was going wide, so it was his goal.
“Mind you, had it hit one of their players and gone in I would have been running to the corner flag on my own to claim it!
“I was just pleased to play my part, I’d been out for a while and we needed a victory.”
Hughes returned against Boro after five weeks out with a torn hamstring and got a ‘souvenir’ of his first game back – a stud mark on his ankle.
The Welshman said: “In the second half Sam Morsy studded me on a nerve in my ankle. My whole foot got pins and needle, I couldn’t feel it for a minute or two.
“It was really weird, I’ve never had that before but thankfully the feeling came back. I was putting my foot on the floor and couldn’t feel it properly.
“I’ve got a nice stud mark there for the record!”
Hughes played 74 minutes against Boro before being replaced by Josh Earl.
“To be honest, I didn’t have much left, I was flagging a bit,” said Hughes.
“When Josh came on I thought he was really solid, he did well.”
Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 per month for the first two months. Try us today by clicking here