Preston North End's game against Wigan Athletic is a must-win if they are to ever get fans back on side

They're bottom of the league, fighting for their lives in the Championship and desperately need every point they can get.

But in reality, it's a must-win game for both sides. For too long North End fans have had to put up with lacklustre home performances and results, they've been waiting over four months to see their side win.

It's been a huge contributing factor to Ryan Lowe's current plight, with supporters booing his decisions and his side over the past few weeks.

To put it simply, the majority of your fans go to home games, and this year, it's been a torrid time in PR1.

Add to that defeats to Blackpool and Burnley so far this season - coming from being the dominant side in Lancashire derbies over the last few years - and there is plenty that is not going the way of the Lilywhites' faithful.

If there is ever a game to win, it is at home to bottom of the league.

No matter PNE's position, even if they were the best home side in the division, they would need to win the game, but now more than ever they need three points.

Their away form has faltered a little of late too, the main thing propping up their season, which has meant they have slipped down the Championship table.

With things going wrong on the road, the play-offs becoming more and more distant - though they may have only been a pipe dream anyway - PNE have to give their fans something to be happy about.

Whilst I recently wrote that they need performances almost as much as results, Saturday's game is purely about the result. They cannot afford to lose another home game and certainly not to a local side who are at the foot of the table.

Preston’s season will most likely end like all but one of their campaigns since returning to the second tier, in nothingness. They’re too far away from the relegation places with too many teams between them to get sucked in and likewise with the play-offs.

So what is left for fans to get excited about? It has to be their home form. Efforts were made at the start of the season with flags bought to increase the atmosphere and try and get behind the team but now they’re staying away instead.

What’s strange is that it seems like a really tough task for North End to pick up their home form, there will be fans out there that see it as impossible given some games this season, but when you’re playing bottom of the league, it’s the perfect opportunity to lay down a marker.

Admittedly, there are some things going against them. There will be no Ched Evans, Ben Whiteman, Emil Riis or Ali McCann for the game – four huge players. But football is a squad game and they should be able to adapt.

If North End don’t get a win, a draw may not be enough to satisfy the masses against the bottom side, there could be little coming back for Lowe when it comes to the fans.