'I think there might be' - EFL pundit offers Preston North End hope for final day scrap at Bristol City

Preston North End getting favours from elsewhere on the final day of the season is very much possible.

That is the view of George Elek, co-host of the renowned EFL podcast, ‘Not The Top 20’. Five teams are in danger of being relegated to League One on the final day of the Championship season, with Paul Heckingbottom’s side one of those after a run of one win in 14 league games.

They head to Bristol City, who are looking to secure a play-off place. Elsewhere, 22nd placed Hull City head to Portsmouth while Luton Town, 21st, are away at West Brom. It’s then 19th vs 18th at Pride Park, where Derby County host Stoke City. Two points separates Hull to Stoke.

PNE have passed up countless chances to secure their second tier status in recent weeks, with last weekend’s 1-2 defeat at home to Plymouth Argyle setting serious fear in among the fan base. Saturday’s game looks particularly tough on paper but Elek feels there can still be hope for North End.

“Preston fans are the ones who are properly changing their bedsheets, regularly, at the moment,” said Elek, on the latest episode. “They know Bristol City are going into that game needing something to go into the top six and you’d think it’d be really hard for them to do something.

“The only other possibility is that if Bristol City know the draw is no good there is a weird eventuality where the game opens up late on in that one and invites Preston into a bit, if Bristol City are having to commit men forward late on and the scores are tied. There is a possibility that it could play into their hands.

“But this is the permutations, the psychology, the moving plates… you can’t really predict who is going to be in the mindset. As shown by Argyle at Preston, you can’t say: ‘This team is going to be on the beach.’ Even West Brom and Luton.

“Even though West Brom are in poor form and they did serve it up to Cardiff to an extent, we saw in that game how dangerous Adam Armstrong and Tom Fellows can be playing on the break and playing in transition, as I’m sure they will do here, because Luton will squeeze up the pitch to try to get what they need.

“But this is still a West Brom team playing in front of their own fans at home for the last game of the season and the same about Pompey, at home against Hull. I just don’t see these teams coming into these games and rolling over and making it easy.

“Maybe away from home it’s easy to do that, but I think you’re held to a standard at home to an extent and if you aren’t playing well nor putting it in, they will let you know about it. There is this perception that Luton are in great form and go to West Brom and win but I don’t know.

“I think there might be some surprises on final day. The bookies have Luton and Hull as pretty significant favourites for their games, which wouldn’t be the case in regular season time. I’d be surprised if one of those two home teams didn’t win one of those games, let’s say that.”

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