1 week Ago By George Hodgson
Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Preston North End will play for Championship survival on the final day of the season. The Lilywhites have been on a dreadful run of form, winning one of their last 14 league games.
They now head to promotion chasing Bristol City, aiming to secure their status in the second tier for an 11th consecutive year. Paul Heckingbottom’s side were beaten 1-2 at home to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday and dropped to 20th in the table. Advertisement Advertisement Cardiff City have been relegated and Plymouth are all but down too, despite victory at Deepdale.
But, the 22nd position is wide open heading into the last round of fixtures. Hull City (48) occupy that spot at present while Luton (49) - who beat Coventry in the 90th minute on Saturday - are 21st. It’s then Preston (49), Derby (49) and Stoke City (50).
For North End, they need to match one of Hull or Luton’s result on the last day of the season. If PNE lose at Bristol City, draws for the Tigers and Hatters will be enough for them to leapfrog Preston. Luton would go one point above and Hull would climb ahead due to their superior goal difference.
Should North End draw, and Stoke lost at Derby County, they would go above the Potters. A win for the Lilywhites will get the job done but anything else, and they will be reliant on results elsewhere. Results have gone against PNE in recent weeks but favours are still possible, from Portsmouth and West Brom.
Pompey host Hull City and the Baggies welcome Luton to The Hawthorns. Both Portsmouth and Albion cannot go down, or make the play-offs. Bristol City v Preston North End Derby v Stoke Portsmouth v Hull West Brom v Luton Burnley v Millwall Coventry v Middlesbrough Norwich v Cardiff Sheffield United v Blackburn Sunderland v QPR Swansea v Oxford Watford v Sheffield Wednesday At the other end of the table, Burnley and Leeds United have secured automatic promotion with Sheffield United guaranteed to finish third and Sunderland fourth.
Bristol City could make sure of their play-off place with victory at Leeds United on Monday night. Anything other than a win for the Robins will see Bristol City, Coventry, Millwall, Blackburn and Middlesbrough compete for a top six finish on the final day. Your next PNE read: Paul Heckingbottom explains team selection versus Plymouth Argyle and Leeds United man's absence.
