Preston North End man hoping to 'make it horrible' for Leeds United at 'hostile' Elland Road

Preston North End defender Andrew Hughes is feeling good after extending his contract at the club and raring to go at Elland Road this Sunday.

The Lilywhites face Leeds United away from home, in front of the Sky Sports cameras this weekend. It's a venue Hughes has been to a handful of times with North End and the type of arena the Welshman thrives off playing in.

"It is probably one of the hardest places to go to, when they are in full swing," said Hughes. "I have played there a few times and you know what it is like, when the fans get behind them and they pick up momentum. It's a tough machine to stop, so we have got to try and keep the crowd as quiet as we can, play our own game and just make it horrible for them.

"We cannot gift-wrap them anything too easy. It will be far from (a flat Sunday game). We have all been there before, so it is not going to be a surprise what comes our way. We have just got to be ready for it. I do tend to look for the Leeds games, purely because I like playing there because of the atmosphere. It is quite hostile, so you could say I look out for it."

Hughes has made 22 appearances in PNE colours this season, having missed a run of seven matches through October and November. The defender has encountered a few knocks over the last few seasons, but on the back of five successive starts he hopes to now kick on.

"Yeah, I feel good," said Hughes. "I think that is the big thing for me, just getting into a rhythm and churning out games. It is more just finding the consistency and getting that back, because when you are picking up little niggles and in and out, it's tough to come back and find the level you were at before.

"So yeah, starting five games on the bounce is a big thing. Some of them have just been little niggles which have been out of my control. Obviously, when I had the shoulder one I got fouled and then ended up having to have an operation on it. Just stuff like that, which is annoying. But no, touch wood I can see the season out."

And on PNE's season as a team, Hughes has been frustrated by the up and down nature. North End sit in 12th spot in the Championship, but the win over Bristol City last time out was the fifth in 21 matches. He was not for glossing up the campaign in Friday's press conference.

He said: "Overall it's a frustrating one, because we started so well and then we've had a dip. It is just trying to find our feet again. We are the ones out there putting the performances on for everyone, so we are to blame for that. I definitely think there has been a lack of consistency, but it's up to us to put that right. It goes without saying that it was a much needed win last week."