'They need to cut that out' - Ex-Preston North End and Wrexham man on old club's play-off credentials

Former Preston North End man Louis Moult admits a play-off charge will be tough for his old club now.

The ex-Lilywhites forward appeared on BBC Lancashire Sport’s post-match show this week, to look back on the weekend’s football. Part of that included reflecting on his two-and-a-half year stay with PNE.

But, Moult - now on the books of Crewe Alexandra but based in Lancashire - has kept a close eye on his old side. With the gap now eight points and PNE having an inferior goal difference to sixth placed Wrexham, the 33-year-old thinks it’s a big ask.

“It’s going to be a tough task, isn’t it?” Moult told BBC Lancashire. “I was at the Wrexham game last week and I think they will be in the play-offs, I really do. After watching their performance in the first half against Portsmouth, I thought they were really good.

“The other teams, I have kept a watch on as well. I thought Derby were brilliant (against Blackburn Rovers) - really positive. But yeah, Preston have given themselves a lot to do now, moving forward.

“They definitely need to get the goalkeeper back and they need some goals. It seems to be a story of late that they concede late on. I know they were one down (vs Millwall) but they concede the second in the last minute of the game. They need to cut that out.”

PNE’s goalkeeper blow

Moult’s time at Deepdale came to an end in the summer of 2021, so the forward spent half-a-season as a team mate of Daniel Iversen’s. In his eyes, the Dane’s absence has been a crushing blow to Paul Heckingbottom’s men.

He said: “I thought he was amazing. That probably coincides with the bad form. That is nothing against the other goalkeepers there. They would probably admit to us as well that Dan is one of the best goalkeepers in that Championship. Him having his injury and them not going on the greatest run since then, it goes hand-in-hand for me.”