Alex Neil insists Sean Maguire has his full backing despite a goal drought stretching back over 16 games.
Preston boss Neil has kept faith with the Ireland striker, who will be named in the Ireland squad on Friday for the Slovakia play-off but who hasn't hit the back of the net since December 10 against Fulham - only his fourth goal in the Championship this season.
But Neil believes the 25-year-old's luck was summed up in last Saturday's defeat to QPR when Maguire struck the woodwork twice.
“It has been testing for Sean but I would like to think the amount of times I’ve played him shows the amount of faith I have in him," said Neil.
“Sean puts in a great shift for the team and I think he has got goals in him. Recently he has been really unfortunate – the QPR game summed it up for him.
“His strike in the first half was as good as he could have hit it, then with the header, he timed his run brilliantly."
Neil told the Yorkshire Post: "What I expect from players is to go out and do your best – if you do your best I can’t ask anymore.
"Sean does that and that is why he plays nearly every week, he’s just been unfortunate.
“As a striker and a forward in general, you go through spells where you score goals and then through dry patches.
“You hit the post, hit the bar, then what happens is one goes in off your backside and you go on a little run.
“At the start of the season he scored three in six, there was no problem with Sean then. On Saturday until we went two up front, I thought he was excellent.
“His movement was good, his link-up play – in terms of retaining the ball and popping it off – was good.
“Sean’s movement down the sides caused problems, he kept things alive for us".
