‘I’m just glad to get off the mark’ – Robbie Brady’s goal delight as Preston push for playoffs
Preston North End's Robbie Brady (left) celebrates scoring the opening goal
An in-form Robbie Brady has backed his Preston side to keep up their challenge for promotion to the Premier League.
The 32-year-old scored his first goal of the season – in fact his first goal for Preston in 56 games – in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to local rivals Blackburn Rovers, that draw extending Preston’s unbeaten run to five games and leaving them just three places outside the promotion playoffs.
“It’s the last stretch, it’s all about timing now. We want to hang in and stay around it,” said Brady, who played Premier League football for three clubs (Hull, Norwich and Burnley).
“We’ll be looking to throw our names into the hat and push forward. You have to have the belief or there’s no point even turning up on a Saturday.
"You can see that with the reaction over the last few weeks, it’s been excellent, and like I said we’ll be giving it our all now for the last push and see where we end up,” added the Dubliner, who was pleased to claim that long-awaited goal. “I’m just glad to get off the mark now. I enjoyed my celebration; it’s been coming for a while.”
Meanwhile, Millwall manager Joe Edwards admits he’s frustrated as loan signing Michael Obafemi was unavailable for duty for the second game in a row.
Ireland striker Obafemi joined the Lions on loan from Burnley last month but has yet to make a significant contribution. The 23-year-old was subbed off in his two starts and played once more as a sub but missed the Lions’ last two games with illness, Millwall were booed off by their own fans after Saturday’s 2-0 loss at home to fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday, as they have managed just one point from the last seven games.
“He’s unwell. He’s just unable to shake it off. Again, another disappointment,” said Edwards. “It’s the kind of feeling we’ve had at the moment of when it rains, it pours. You bring someone like Michael in to hopefully have a really big impact in our team and add some pace and goals. Rusty in his first game, steps up and looks a bit sharper against Coventry. And then you lose him for two important games through an illness.”
