Preston have won three away games in a row

Despite Vale moving into ninth place in the league with the win over Crewe on Saturday, mark Grew is expecting a tough encounter against Preston North End this evening.

Vale, however, have hit a rich vein of form in recent weeks and Assistant Manager Mark Grew insets they are not scared of anybody.

He said: “Preston are always going to be up there. He (Simon Grayson) has gone in there and done a really good job. We had them watched on Saturday and by all accounts they should have won seven or eight.

“They got caught with a sucker punch but you have to take your chances. They (Colchester United) had one chance and tucked it into the back of the net.

“We realise we are in for a tough game. I think that they have won their last three games away from home including a win at Leyton Orient and played very well according to the reports we have had.

“They have got Kevin Davies playing for them, but the lad who is on fire at the moment is Joe Garner, he has scored five goals in the last four games.

“He is five foot ten but he has scored some great goals with his head and he will be a threat, but they have got other hood players in there – they are not in the top five or six because they are a poor side.

“We know it is going to be a tough game, but we are flying high as well and our confidence is high and that should make for a really good game.

“We are a point off the play-offs and if any of the lads say they are not looking at the table now are probably lying.

“They know what how big a game this is – we want to try and get in the top six if we possibly can but we realise we are in for a tough game.

“If somebody had said at the start of the season this is where we would be we would probably have a little chuckle, but we are there on merit.

“We have worked hard as a unit and as a squad and I think the fear factor has gone out of the league now. We know that on our day we are capable of beating anybody.

“We thought this league would be strong, but we have proved we are as strong as anybody in the league.”