By Aston
February 18 2005

Ipswich Town can extend their lead at the top of the championship table too eight points if they beat Preston north end tonight.

Preview: Preston

Ipswich Town can extend their lead at the top of the championship table too eight points if they beat Preston north end tonight.

Preston manager Billy Davies will be with out the services of midfielder Eddie Lewis who is suspended, Eric Skora is out long term and goalkeeper Andy Lonergan has been ruled out for at least six months following a training ground accident earlier this week.

Preston are the form team in the championship having won 5 of the last 6 with one draw and going further back they are undefeated in 9 games.

Preston boss Billy Davies has said: “Ipswich are a very good side, who have a very good manager and coaches.

“There are a lot of excellent people at the club. When you go there you can feel the Premiership throughout the club.

“It is a club with a great tradition that has played at the top level in league and European football. They are a top club.

“It's a great game of football, with two teams who like to get forward and score goals.

“Ipswich are the league leaders and a team who have been very consistent but we are coming off a good run and have shown great consistency away and at home.

“The most important thing is three points and, if that means us going and having to scrap for the three points and it not being a wonderful game of football for the fans, then so be it.”

Town manager Joe Royle is with out defender Drissa Diallo who returned from injury for the reserves only to get injured again, striker Shefki Kuqi is injured but Royle acted swiftly to bring James Scowcroft back to Portman Road as cover for the flying Finn.

Town manager Joe Royle: “They are all hard games at this stage of the season but Preston are certainly in decent form and have a number of good players in their squad, Chris Lucketti was with me as a schoolboy at Oldham and has developed into a very good centre-half in this division while Richard Cresswell has continually scored goals at this level.

“People think about Preston and say they don't spend any money and the like but they have developed a very good side and we know it will be a difficult 90 minutes for us.

“But we're going there to win. We're the leading scorers in the division away from home and that says it all about our attitude on our travels.

“We have not picked up the results that perhaps we have deserved with some of our performances this season either.”

Ipswich Town Squad: Darren Bent, Dean Bowditch, Darren Currie, Kelvin Davis, Jason De Vos, Kevin Horlock, Daniel Karbassiyoon, Jim Magilton, Tommy Miller, Richard Naylor, Lewis Price, Matt Richards, James Scowcroft, David Unsworth, Ian Westlake, Fabian Wilnis.

Town kick off against Preston at 7:45 tonight with the sky cameras present.

Other games Town fans should be watching for this weekend are Sunderland making the long trip down to Brighton and Wigan playing host to Leeds who have been on a good run of late.

Sources: EADT and Ipswich Town - the official website.

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