Heckingbottom pleased with new Preston pitch

Preston North End have caught up with the rest of the Championship with their new playing surface, acccording to head coach Paul Heckingbottom.

The Lilywhites had to play their Carabao Cup first round tie against Huddersfield Town at Goodison Park while their new pitch was being installed at Deepdale, but will return home to host Wolves in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 BST).

"Everything has progressed in football and we were the only team in the league not to have some sort of artificial stitch-pitch and its job is just to hold firmer when the weather turns and, instead of it ripping up and becoming bobbly it just stays flatter," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It's not about having grass on the pitch, it's about it being flat and level and holding firm and we've not had that."

Preston opened the Championship season with a 2-1 loss at newly-promoted Bolton Wanderers last Saturday and Heckingbottom says they have used the time since then to familiarise themselves with the new pitch.

"We trained on it on Tuesday. It'll gradually firm up over the next two or three months," he said

"It's not quite where it should be but for a six or seven week old pitch we're really pleased with it."

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