Karanka: Preston edged it

09 August 2015 20:31

Aitor Karanka admitted Preston produced a better performance than his Middlesbrough side as the pre-season favourites for promotion started in underwhelming fashion.

Boro were in action for the first time since a Sky Bet Championship play-off final defeat to Norwich three months ago and were held to a 0-0 stalemate by newly-promoted North End at Deepdale.

Despite being able to boast returning midfielder Stewart Downing in their ranks, the visitors failed to find the target with any of their seven attempts and lacked the cutting edge which former loanee Patrick Bamford gave them so often last term.

"I said before the game we would be making a big mistake if we think every game will be easy," Karanka said.

"They played very well and were very well organised defensively, and they wanted the ball more than us so we have to improve.

"I am not making excuses. I have a squad that I imagine is better than theirs and they played better than us.

"They were very well organised and we couldn't play in our way."

Boro's lack of attacking thrust suggested their Spanish manager, who this week penned a new four-year contract at the Riverside, may need another forward if their top-flight dream is to be realised.

The Teesside outfit have already had one bid rejected for Blackburn's Jordan Rhodes after his 21-goal campaign in 2014-15 and Karanka conceded he remains in the hunt for a striker.

"Jordan Rhodes is one player who scores goals but we have other alternatives," he declared.

"I don't want to speak about Jordan Rhodes every press conference because he is not my player and I have to think about my players."

Karanka then added: "We need players who will score goals. We have Kike and (Cristhian) Stuani and we need to bring in players who can score goals.

"Jordan is one name on the list and we have other ones. We have to make sure we get the right ones."

The Lilywhites began life back in the Championship with a point and manager Simon Grayson was elated to see his pre-match tactics carried out to perfection.

Aside from Grant Leadbitter's first-half try, where the captain dragged an attempt wide after driving into the area courtesy of a one-two with Kike, the visitors failed to truly trouble.

"I thought the players worked extremely hard, carried out the game-plan and on another day we could quite easily have had a couple of goals," Grayson said.

"We've limited Middlesbrough to I don't think a shot on target, which is some achievement given the players they've got.

"Overall, I'm really satisfied with a really professional performance but also some good quality at times."

Downing was called up to the England squad less than 12 months ago but he experienced a quiet afternoon in a number-10 role after being marshalled expertly by man-of-the-match John Welsh.

"Welshy goes unnoticed sometimes," Grayson noted.

"We made a real concious effort to make sure he stopped Stewart Downing to start with because he's a major threat."

Source: PA