Lancashire

Burnley boss Nicky Hayen says he was happy with a point despite his side letting a one-goal lead slip to draw at Wrexham on Tuesday night.

Zeki Amdouni's first Burnley goal in two years put the visitors ahead in the first half.

But the Clarets were pegged back in the second half because of Wrexham defender Jacques Ekomie's header 10 minutes after the break meaning they remain winless from their first six Championship games following relegation last season.

"We played a really good first half with a really good goal and found the right solutions," Hayen told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We showed more positive signs than in the last match against Bristol [City].

"Today was a step in the right direction and this is what we want to see more."

Hayen also touched on new Burnley signing Jamie Vardy, who moved to Turf Moor on Sunday, and the reasons he brought the 39-year-old to the football club.

"First of all, goals," Hayen explained. "That's why we brought him in and what is really important is he's an experienced player but also an intelligent player.

"The way we play, we create spaces. The goal that we scored with Zeki [Amdouni], I think with Jamie, he has so intelligent runs and he doesn't need a lot of chances before he scores goals.

"This will be an add-on for our team but also our offensive players can learn a lot from him and also he's a voice in the dressing room. He can guide these kind of players so its a really positive signing for us."

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Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom lamented his side's defending after they let a lead slip in the 2-1 defeat by Watford.

North End led at half-time thanks to Callum Lang's goal but a slack clearance from midfielder Alfie Devine allowed Edo Kayembe to equalise before Mamadou Doumbia headed Watford's winner.

"You get what you deserve regardless of performance levels. We should have been out of sight and I felt really comfortable right up to them scoring," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It's very similar [to other performances this season]. That's the frustrating bit. Bristol City was similar.

"People I've just seen up there asked, 'How have you not seen that out?' But those goals [conceded] are really poor and unless we as a group sort that, we're not going to get what we deserve from games."

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Burnley's winless start to the season puts them bottom of the Championship but it's not what was expected.

The side are benefitting from parachute payments and have achieved four promotions to the top flight since 2014.

So is new boss Nicky Hayen to blame? Fan Natalie Bromley thinks the Belgian has "been handed the most impossible of tasks" after a late appointment and a "disastrous" summer transfer window.

However, Hayen is not off the hook either.

"He's not helping himself either. We've got very muddled team selection, players playing out of position, players who clearly are not performing well and not working in certain structures still being picked again the game after," Bromley said.

"He made six changes on Saturday talking about fitness and squad rotation - we are in September. It's game, what, five?

"He's very famous for high press, we haven't seen any of that yet. The players look like they don't know what they are doing, the shape and the tactics look disjointed and there is no energy."

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Preston striker Callum Lang believes his double against Blackburn has helped North End turn the corner after their "massive" Lancashire derby win.

Lang's two goals set the Championship strugglers up to secure a much-needed first league win of the campaign as he finally opened his account for Preston on his 12th appearance for the club.

"As a forward player I need to add goals," the 27-year-old told BBC Radio Lancashire. "That's the most important thing. The better I do as a player, the better we do as a team.

"You've got to be selfish sometimes as a forward. Just getting in the right areas - I think all of us have been working on that. We showed it against Bristol City as well. Just really trying to play on the front foot and be a lot more positive.

"I think over the last two games we've really showed that and created a lot more chances for it. We were exciting and aggressive and look a lot of a better team for it."

Lang, who moved to Deepdale from Portsmouth seven months ago, says a weight has been lifted as they prepare to face Watford tomorrow night.

"It was really a massive result for us," he said. "Confidence-wise, we've had a tough start. We knew coming into the game this could be the turnaround.

"It's a real boost for the team, all the fans and the staff and we really want to push on now."

Watford are hoping to end a run of just one point from their past three Championship games when they meet Preston North End on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

By contrast, Preston collected their first three points of the campaign and ended a four-game losing streak against Blackburn Rovers at the weekend.

• Watford have won just one of their past eight Championship games against Preston (D5 L2), a 5-1 away victory in December 2023.

• Preston are unbeaten in four league visits to Watford (W1 D3), this after losing three of their previous four prior (D1).

• Watford have only lost one of their past nine midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home games in the Championship (W5 D3), a 2-0 defeat by Ipswich in February last season.

• Preston could lose each of their first three away games of a league season for the first time since 2018-19 (first five).

• Preston's Paul Heckingbottom is unbeaten in five league meetings with Watford (W3 D2) since a 1-0 defeat while in charge of Sheffield United in August 2022.