Preston North End manager talks about fine margins as he wants his side near the top of the Championship

North End are currently 15th in the Championship but are three points away from Saturday’s opponents and fifth placed Sunderland.

Had PNE taking just a couple more of their chances this season their outlook on the division could look remarkably different, instead opportunities have come and gone and the Lilywhites have largely had to settle for draws.

Lowe said: “It's small margins, isn't it? I was sat with Paul Heckingbottom after the game against Sheffield United and he was saying the same to me.

"If we score first we probably go and win that game 2-0, and we don't make a mistake or two mistakes to give them goals. A lot of managers have complimented us when we've played against them, whether we've won, lost or drawn. They're good signs when your peers are complimenting you.

"Everyone knows we're good enough to be scoring six or seven goals but it's not for the lack of trying and we haven't had that finished article at the top end of the pitch.

"The science says if you keep doing what you've been doing eventually it will come, and that's what we've got to do.”

PNE now enter another heavy run of fixtures with eight games in October. Lowe looked at the last run of games, prior to the international break, in isolation but he may have to change that plan this time around as he analyses performance.

He said: “We're onto the next 10 now, but we'll probably go five and five because they will come that fast.

"We're just a couple of goals away from being where we want to be and then expectations would have gone right through the roof if we were sitting here fifth or sixth! We want to be at the top end of the division.

"We're just a couple of points away from being up there, what we need to do now is put some wins together. If we can get back to back wins, which snowballs and takes you right up then great. We've got to make sure we keep doing the right things.”