'It's knockout football' - Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe admits it's all or nothing against Blackburn Rovers

PNE have lost their last two games but still sit just two points off the play-off places, with sixth place Blackburn Rovers coming to Deepdale on Saturday evening.

Should they win that game, the Lilywhites will leapfrog Rovers in the table, but they will have to rely on other results going their way to ensure a play-off spot to end the weekend.

Lowe’s men have been fortunate over the last few games that their defeats have not left them with more ground to make up but he now knows that his side cannot afford any more slip ups.

“It's knockout football, we've said that to the players,” he said. “It's those moments that you've got to treasure and fight for. It's those moments that you have to have fire in the belly but cool heads.

"We've got to now perform in the next three games to see if we can stake a claim to try and get in which would be a great achievement.”

Lowe has been left ruing what might have been with points dropped at points in the season where his side should have capitalised.

It is all there for North End going into the next game though, playing a local rival, a chance to go above them and keep their promotion hopes alive, live on TV and a bumper crowd expected.

Lowe said: “We've lost two and if we'd have won one of them games or won one and drawn one we'd be in a much better position. We'd have been in a better position early on as well if we had a few more goals and a few more points, which we felt we could have had, but you can't look back and you can't dwell on it.

"The next one is the most important one but to be given a lifeline and to give ourselves the best possible chance, you need to get a win in a local derby first and foremost.

“Some people could say it's written in the stars and waiting for you, the results have not gone for us in terms of us winning but they have gone for us in terms of others not picking up and getting momentum."