Putting home form right is the priority for Preston North End boss Alex Neil

Preston North End will seek to put right their form at Deepdale tonight when they face Millwall (7pm).
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Three Championship games on home turf have all ended in 1-0 defeats, while Brighton triumphed here in the Carabao Cup.

The Lilywhites’ only home success of the campaign to date was the 4-0 victory over Mansfield in the Carabao Cup’s opening round.

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The away form is in total contrast, North End winning three and drawing one of their four league games.

PNE boss Alex Neil at Huddersfield on SaturdayPNE boss Alex Neil at Huddersfield on Saturday
PNE boss Alex Neil at Huddersfield on Saturday

They also won at fellow Championship outfit Derby in the cup.

PNE manager Alex Neil accepts it will take a more creative approach to get his side going at home.

Whereas on their travels they can press high and catch teams on the counter, the opposition tend to sit deeper at Deepdale and put the onus on North End to build play and mount attacks.

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It is a topic which has clearly been talked about within the dressing room, although Neil insists it is a not a stick to beat his team with.

Neil said: “I think there has been more made of this than we have made of it.

“Performance sport is all about confidence and belief, so if you go into something with a lack of confidence or belief then naturally you are going to tighten up.

“It is a difficult balance as a manager, letting the lads know what the truth is sometimes but equally maintaining their confidence and belief in what they are doing and how good a player they are.

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“That is a fine balance to strike because you cannot continually barrage them and be negative.”

Confidence should not be in short supply after the away wins of the past week at QPR and Huddersfield.

However, they need to find a way to get the first home points on the board before it turns into a bigger saga.

Having Daniel Johnson back available could well give PNE a boost at home.

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Johnson is yet to play at Deepdale this season and the craft he provides from an advanced midfield role has been missed.

Emil Riis will be in from the start, his one appearance at home to date being as a substitute against Cardiff.

Keeping an unchanged side is certain to tempt Neil, the Wednesday night kick-off giving that extra recovery time from last Saturday.

He has hinted at having one of either Ben Pearson or Ben Davies back from injury.

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North End have coped well without them though, both players missing the QPR and Huddersfield matches.

Darnell Fisher is getting near full fitness, and is back training with the squad after a month on the sidelines with a hamstring strain.

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