Manager Simon Grayson says his side can only affect their own fixtures, but is happy to keep adding to the ‘scoreboard’ pressure by winning games.
His Lilywhites side made it five straight wins and clean sheets with Saturday’s 4-0 win at Oldham Athletic and admitted that people were now starting to study the other results and the league table with interest, but he only had eyes on one game at a time.
“It’s simple – you can’t affect what other people are doing,” said the gaffer. “We are 100 miles plus away from some of the other games and we can’t do anything about them.
“Of course, straight after the game everyone looks at the results and sees how everyone else has done, but it is about what you do yourself.
“If we work hard as a team, play well as a team and do the right things, we have a chance of beating anybody on our day, because we have got a full squad available to us with great quality.
“If we take our eye off the ball and slide away from the things we have been asking the players to do, then we will come undone and that has been the case all season. “
The win at Boundary Park lifted North End into third, level on points with Milton Keynes Dons in second, with a game in hand, leaving the PNE chief and his side’s fate in their own hands for the first time.
“Ultimately, if we win the next 14 matches then we get promoted, it’s as simple as that!” Continued the 45-year-old.
“We are aiming to win as many games as possible. We have the three teams around us to play, two at home and one away, but all the other games are just as important, if not more so.
“Doncaster is the next game and that is the most important. We have to win as many games as we can and that is the focus we have.”
Rovers arrive having just gone into the top six themselves after Saturday’s win at home to Colchester United and Paul Dickov is someone Grayson knows well.
“They have got some good experienced players. Where they are now, they are desperate to get back into the Championship and like every game, it will be tough for us.
“It is so tight from fifth downwards and there are a whole host of clubs trying to achieve the target of getting into the Play-Offs, so it will be a difficult game.
“The games are coming thick and fast at the moment, but that’s what the players like when they are winning matches.
“I signed ‘Dicky’ [Paul Dickov] at both Blackpool and Leeds. He is a good lad; someone who is passionate and has his team playing good football. They play a different system to us, so it should be a good game,” he added.
“It’s simple – you can’t affect what other people are doing,” said the gaffer. “We are 100 miles plus away from some of the other games and we can’t do anything about them.
“Of course, straight after the game everyone looks at the results and sees how everyone else has done, but it is about what you do yourself.
“If we work hard as a team, play well as a team and do the right things, we have a chance of beating anybody on our day, because we have got a full squad available to us with great quality.
“If we take our eye off the ball and slide away from the things we have been asking the players to do, then we will come undone and that has been the case all season. “
The win at Boundary Park lifted North End into third, level on points with Milton Keynes Dons in second, with a game in hand, leaving the PNE chief and his side’s fate in their own hands for the first time.
“Ultimately, if we win the next 14 matches then we get promoted, it’s as simple as that!” Continued the 45-year-old.
“We are aiming to win as many games as possible. We have the three teams around us to play, two at home and one away, but all the other games are just as important, if not more so.
“Doncaster is the next game and that is the most important. We have to win as many games as we can and that is the focus we have.”
Rovers arrive having just gone into the top six themselves after Saturday’s win at home to Colchester United and Paul Dickov is someone Grayson knows well.
“They have got some good experienced players. Where they are now, they are desperate to get back into the Championship and like every game, it will be tough for us.
“It is so tight from fifth downwards and there are a whole host of clubs trying to achieve the target of getting into the Play-Offs, so it will be a difficult game.
“The games are coming thick and fast at the moment, but that’s what the players like when they are winning matches.
“I signed ‘Dicky’ [Paul Dickov] at both Blackpool and Leeds. He is a good lad; someone who is passionate and has his team playing good football. They play a different system to us, so it should be a good game,” he added.