NORTH End boss Craig Brown has fired a warning to this season's opponents: "The best is yet to come."

Despite a heart-stopping victory against Stoke and a draw against bogey team Gillingham, Brown reckons his players will get better.

And his team will not find a better chance to prove they can slip up a gear than on Sunday, when relegated Ipswich head to Deepdale.

Brown said: "I think the players have more in them yet and we will soon see it on the pitch. We have put in some excellent performances but I still think there is more to come.

"Our players are incredibly dedicated."

What has been particularly heartening for Brown is that the weekend's goals came three different people. Richard Cresswell saved North End's bacon on Saturday and Monday while Ricardo Fuller found the net and David Healy, who was out of sorts at the end of last season, scored two against Stoke.

"It is good that all our strikers are scoring goals," admitted Brown.

"But our players across the field have been excellent. Chris Lucketti has been inspirational as captain, and one of Paul McKenna's tackles on Saturday is probably the best I have seen. It is not often a tackle sets up a goal.

"This team has had a fantastic fitness level and work ethic over the past few years. Preston have always been a second half side, and it is good to see this is continuing. They are showing that the game is not over until the final whistle."

One player he believes will continue to improve is Marlon Broomes, who had his first team debut on Monday.

"We played him for 60 minutes and he did very well against very awkward opponents," said Brown. "He just needs more match fitness now. We have the strength in depth to shuffle the pack and that is a good thing."

Brown is keen to add a striker to the side. The rumour mill went into overdrive this week when Preston were linked with a £1million move for Manchester City striker Sean Goater. Any move will have to be completed by the weekend when the Premiership closes its transfer window until January.

And Brown has warned Premier clubs circling for Fuller to back off -- because he is going nowhere.