Kilkenny happy with form

Neil Kilkenny is happy to continue playing an under-appreciated role in Preston's team.

The 28-year-old midfielder has been a regular fixture under his former Leeds boss Simon Grayson over the past 12 months since arriving at Deepdale from Bristol City, originally on loan. North End were eliminated from the play-offs by Rotherham last May but have responded by moving into the division's top two on the back of a run of seven straight wins prior to Saturday's loss at Rochdale. Kilkenny remains an integral part of the line-up at the base of the team's midfield and is often the start of many attacks, with Preston scoring in 23 straight games before last weekend. "I'm happy with my form," the Australian international said. "The manager knows me well, he knows what I do well, what I don't do well. He sometimes looks past the things I don't do well but at the same time he knows what I can give to the team. "A lot of the time I feel maybe people don't see the holes I cover but, as long as we keep winning, the manager keeps being happy with me and I'm happy with that. "If anyone asks me how to describe myself I'd say a ball-playing midfielder who just keeps the game ticking over, starts attacks off, wins the ball, maybe not by tackling, but intercepting." Kilkenny has only scored three times in Lilywhites' colours and concedes fans often expect him to pull the trigger when on the edge of the box. But, with prolific goalscorers like Joe Garner up ahead of him, Kilkenny is just as happy to recycle the ball if it leads to goals. "I'm maybe not greedy enough," he added. "People get on to me about shooting and it comes to me a lot of the time maybe 20 yards out, instead of shooting I might give it out wide for the cross to come in and we might score from that. "I'm more one for the team and I'm happy when the team's winning."