Alex Neil says Preston North End will be single minded in taking on Birmingham City

Neil knows that wins from the last two matches and a host of favours elsewhere are required for a top-six finish.

Other teams dropping points is out of his control, so his sole focus is on PNE doing their job at Deepdale and hopefully being in a position to carry things into the final game at Bristol City on Wednesday.

North End go into the clash with Birmingham in ninth place, trailing Cardiff City by five points.

Millwall are three points better off than Neil’s men and Swansea two points, which shows the size of the task.

Neil said: “We are not thinking about two games, we are only thinking about the next one – our only thought is playing Birmingham.

“If we can win that and results go in our favour like they have done on occasions before, then we can take it into the last game.

“We need to win the next game, end of story. We still have an opportunity, albeit a difficult one.

“All the way through this season, even when we were in a very good position at one time, we wanted to be in a position where we had the opportunity to get into the play-offs.

“That has been our goal for the season and will continue to be.”

Cardiff make the trip to Middlesbrough tomorrow, Millwall are at QPR and Swansea host Bristol City.

On the final evening of the season, Cardiff host Hull who have dropped down the table like a stone in 2020.

After playing a 3-5-2 system against Brentford in midweek, Neil is likely to switch formation and place far more of an attacking emphasis on PNE’s play than he did at Griffin Park.

There could be a start for Jayden Stockley who was a victim of the formation change against the Bees and dropped to the bench.

Darnell Fisher gave a good account of himself on his return to the starting XI.

He played right wing-back to start with, before swapping with Joe Rafferty and moving to the left.

When PNE changed shape in the closing stages and went to a back four, it was Fisher who made way.

Birmingham look just about safe from relegation but are without a win in 12.

Neil said: “They have Lukas Jutkiewicz up front who is a dominating presence.

“They’ve got Scott Hogan too who wants to stretch the game behind. That is a little bit of a ‘little and large’ combination.

“Pep Clotet has moved on so it looked like they are in a bit of transition.”