Preston North End picked up where they left off after the international break. They went into it with a win and a clean sheet at Plymouth Argyle, and on Friday they did it again with three goals in the first half more than enough to get the victory.
Rotherham United’s season was done some time ago. With only three wins all campaign they have long been destined for the drop, and Preston ensured the three points were secured early on.
It may have been a blessing that an easier fixture presented itself at this time with Ben Whiteman, Liam Millar, Brad Potts and Ryan Ledson all unavailable.
Ali McCann, and Robbie Brady had been away over the international break as well, but luckily The Lilywhites could manage the workload effectively on Friday.
Opportunity knocks
With the aforementioned absentees leaving gaps in the midfield, it meant there was a welcome recall to the side for Duane Holmes. The American had not started a game since the 13th January, despite being one of our better players in the first half of the season.
Mads Frokjaer has occupied the number 10 role of late and rightly so. His link up play with Will Keane and Emil Riis has been superb and he is growing in confidence each game. Holmes would usually be the most advanced of the midfield if he was to play.
He excelled in a square midfield behind a lone striker, and also played wide of the striker at times as well.
Lowe has turned to Whiteman, McCann, Ledson and Alan Browne to play in deeper roles, but on Friday an opportunity at right-wing-back was thrown up.
When the team was announced most would have expected Browne to take up that role, but it was Holmes who played the wider of the two.
He played it in a very attacking style, with not much defensive work required for him to do. He rarely had to venture back into his own half and pushed Sebastian Revan deep into his own half.
Holmes loves running at defenders and it was creating space elsewhere too. It was no surprise that he was involved in two of the three goals.
He has a knack of sneaking into the area unnoticed, and found himself in exactly the right place to poke home Robbie Brady’s drilled cross into the box. It was his fifth goal of the season in all competitions, and they have all come at Deepdale.
For the third goal, his run down the wing and cross into the area eventually found Emil Riis who applied the finish and secured the victory.
Big role to play in last eight games
When faced with a fully fit squad, Ryan Lowe has a lot of options in midfield. Potts and Whiteman may be out a little longer yet though, and Holmes is certainly a player we can rely on when it comes to creating chances.
He’s a tricky individual but with Frokjaer excelling behind the front two it’s difficult to see Holmes fitting in elsewhere if not at right-wing-back. Hopefully Liam Millar returns on Monday, but Brady may keep his place, and Millar could play on the right.
Browne can also play out wide too, but I don’t think Lowe would play Holmes in a deeper role, rather having two sitting midfielders.
Either way, Holmes is a reliable player and whether it’s in the starting eleven or off the bench, he still can still be a key player in these last eight games.