Tom Bayliss eyes another Preston North End start in the FA Cup against Wycombe Wanderers

The midfielder made his first Championship start in a PNE shirt in last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

It was a long time coming for the 21-year-old who arrived at North End back in August 2019 from Coventry.

Another start is coming his way in the FA Cup against Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park this weekend.

Bayliss told the Lancashire Post: “It has been a slow and steady thing, I’ve been dipping my toe in and coming off the bench.

“I really enjoyed going at it from the start and I felt I did quite well to be fair.

“We’ve got the FA Cup coming up at Wycombe and hopefully I can get some more minutes there, build on my start.

“It will come down to performances, if I’m performing well it gives the manager something to think about. If I’m not playing well, there are no excuses, I’ll come out of the team.

“If I’m playing well and the manager is happy, I’d like to think I can get a bit of a run.”

Bayliss was needed against Forest after Alan Browne did not recover in time from a tight calf muscle.

He partnered Ryan Ledson in the midfield, with Daniel Johnson further forward.

Having Ledson there was something Bayliss liked, the pair having teamed up in some of Bayliss’ previous appearances in the cup competitions.

Bayliss said: “I really enjoy playing with Ledo.

“When I first came here, my first few games were alongside him.

“I feel we have a good partnership, Ledo knows If I go forward he stays back and sits.

“The manager gave me a bit of a licence to push forward and take the ball upfield.”

It might be that Bayliss is one of the few players who starts both the Forest and Wycombe games.

North End boss Alex Neil is likely to rotate his squad against a Wycombe side they met just a month ago in the Championship.

Said Bayliss: “It’s a team from our own division but that is how the draw came out.

“We will be looking to go to Wycombe and get into the next round, it would be nice to do that and get on a run.

“We’ve got a good-sized squad for the manager to choose from and whoever plays will be trying to get us a place in the next round.”

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