GILLINGHAM have proved a bogey team for Preston in recent seasons and Deepdale boss David Moyes admits it's not the easiest of games with which to kick off their First Division campaign.

The Gills hammered North End 4-0 at Priestfield Stadium last season, although in the end the result proved academic as newly promoted Preston ended up finishing in fourth place before losing 3-0 to Bolton in the play-off final at Cardiff.

"It is a really tough game to start with," said Moyes. "Gillingham are a little bit like ourselves, they have a good team spirit, they work very hard, it is always a competitive game.

"They beat us last season at their place and they deserved it."

Preston are many people's favourites to be up there again this season -- but Moyes knows they have a tough act to follow after all the glory of last season.

"We will approach it much the same as last season. The first job is to make

sure we stay in the division.

"That is the starting point and what we aimed for last year. Then the aim is the top ten, then to see if we can get into the top six and the top one is to try and be promoted as champions if possible.

"But I think it is a much tighter division this time. Last year Fulham ran away with it and we will have to see how it goes once the season has started.

"Lots of team will be disappointed with where they finished last season, some have spent a lot of money to try and get it right this time and they will expect to do much better than last season.

"Then there are the teams who have come down. They will make it difficult

for the other sides."

Moyes knows the fans expectations have been raised and, despite bids from Wolves for Jon Macken and interest in skipper Sean Gregan, he has kept the side together and made one addition, signing Richard Cresswell in a £500,000 deal from Leicester.

Cresswell was on loan at Deepdale last season and impressed the boss but is touch and go for the opener with a knee injury.

He may also have experienced striker Kevin Gallacher in his ranks.

The 34-year-old, though, is currently struggling with a calf injury and although a one month contract is on the table, the Preston boss is waiting for the former Rovers striker to prove his fitness first.

"We are more experienced in this division now," continued the boss.

"The players have 40 or 50 games under their belt as last season, many had

never played at this level before.

"Last year many saw us as favourites for relegation and getting to the play-offs was a remarkable achievement. That is what we will strive for.

"But we have also got to be realistic. Teams have spent money. It is not always the route to success but teams like Fulham who have money at their disposal tend to be top of the division."

Preston have suffered at the hands of Premiership opposition in pre-season losing 3-0 to Everton, 2-1 to Middlesbrough and 5-0 to Leeds United.

But it still hasn't stopped Moyes wishing he was there in the top flight this season.

"If we had been promoted, we would have had to look on a different level of player," he said.

"We would have had to add dramatically but what we would have financially would have made a much bigger difference.

"When you have got opportunities in life you have got to take them. We had an opportunity of getting to the Premiership and we gave it our best shot and came very close."

But Moyes is sure a lot of teams will run them close this season.

"It is so difficult. There's Manchester City and Coventry, they will be up there, then there's Birmingham, West Brom and Sheffield United, they will always be hard to beat.

"It is a very tight division and some of these clubs may not even be in the top half of the table.

"We have no divine right to be there. We have got to earn our right to be there."

North End striker Steve Basham, who broke his leg last October, came through the majority of a reserve game this week against Lancaster, scoring two goals in an 8-0 win.

"There is still a lot of hard work for Steve although we are all

delighted for him," added Moyes.