After four years away Preston North End have made a solid start to life back in the Championship but fell to their first defeat of the season on Saturday, 2-1 at home to league-leaders Ipswich Town.

The Lilywhites, promoted through the League One play-offs in May, saw their unbeaten start to the season ended by Mick McCarthy’s men thanks to goals from Brett Pitman and Ryan Fraser, Daniel Johnson scoring for the Deepdale side between the two.

Pipped to second on the final day of last season by MK Dons, Preston finished third in the end and sealed promotion back to the second tier with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Swindon Town in the final at Wembley; Jermaine Beckford notching a hat-trick.

So far so good this season for Grayson’s side, who are 12th in the Championship having picked up a creditable goalless draw against Middlesbrough on the opening weekend before beating the Dons 1-0 and drawing 0-0 with Rotherham United.

What might be of concern for Grayson is the side’s lack of goals so far. Three clean sheets in four league fixtures will be a welcome return a tally of two goals may tempt the former Leeds United and Blackpool boss back into the transfer market before the window closes on September 1.

Watford Observer:

Former Hornet Joe Garner is still searching for his first goal since promotion. But the 27-year-old, who scored just once in 27 outings for the Hornets, has netted 43 goals in just 76 league starts for Preston since joining in January 2013.

The former Nottingham Forest and Carlisle United striker has a total of 51 in 109 appearances in all competitions for the Lilywhites, a record just shy of one every other game.

Despite drawing a blank so far, Grayson has no doubts the Blackburn-born poacher will get on the goal trail soon.

He told the Lancashire Evening Post: “Joe’s a marked man now.But I think he’s just a striker who wants to score.

“I don’t think he’s worrying about anything too much. I think you saw last year, he’s a striker who will have a shot from 20 yards or he will want to get on the end of things. I have no worries about Joe.”

The experienced Beckford is also waiting to get his campaign up-and-running after being reunited with Grayson to great effect last season, scoring 18 times in just 25 starts after moving on loan from Bolton Wanderers in November.

Signed permanently over the summer, the former Leeds United striker has endured a tough time since leaving Elland Road in 2010.

A return of 85 goals in 152 outings for the Whites saw Beckford become one of the Football League's hottest properties and he joined the Premier League Toffees on a free transfer that summer when his contract expired.

Watford Observer: Jermaine Beckford

The 31-year-old has bounced around the Championship since with the Leicester City, Huddersfield Town and Bolton Wanderers but netted 64 goals in all competitions under Grayson at Leeds during a two-year spell.

Grayson has not sought to overhaul his squad completely this summer with two signings - Beckford and Paul Gallagher - both returning to Deepdale after impressing on loan.

Gallagher made 71 league starts in two separate loan stays immediately prior to his summer move from Leicester and also spent time on loan at the club during the 2007/08 campaign.

Further firepower has been added in the shape of Manchester United youngster Will Keane, who has signed on a season-long loan. The 21-year-old scored three times for Sheffield Wednesday last season during a short loan stint and has also turned out for Queens Park Rangers and Wigan Athletic in the Championship.

At the back, young Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has also made a season-long switch from the Black Cats, whilst Belgian right-back Marnick Vermijl joined for the rest of the campaign from Sheffield Wednesday.

The former Manchester United youngster only joined the Owls in February and featured at Vicarage Road in the final-day draw which denied Watford the Championship title in May.

Watford Observer: Marnick Vermijl

Greg Cunningham has arrived on the opposing flank, the left sider joining from Bristol City for an undisclosed fee from the League One champions. The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland cap is comfortable anywhere down the left and fits into the 3-5-2 system utilised by Grayson as a wing-back. He was taken off with a hamstring complaint.

Preston’s record against the Hornets at Deepdale is strong, the Hornets last winning in Lancashire in February 1979, a run which stretches across 13 fruitless trips to the Lilywhites’ home.

The last meeting between the two ended with the Lilywhites 3-1 winners in May 2011 as Tommie Hoban made his Watford bow as an early replacement for the injured Martin Taylor. A young Sean Murray also started for the first time.

Preston North End XI v Ipswich Town (22.8.2015): Pickford; Clarke, Wright, Huntington, Cunningham; Kilkenny, Johnson, Welsh; Humphrey, Garner, Gallagher.