Preston boss Phil Brown described his side's 4-0 hammering at Millwall as "the worst performance" of his reign, a result which leaves North End five points from safety with only three games remaining. "If we play like that again then we will be going down. But you won't be getting that repeat performance I can assure you.
"I can't answer why we got that display.
"That is the worst performance I have seen in my time in charge and it was completely unacceptable."
Preston have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks which made their display at Millwall all the more surprising.
He added: "We prepared well, we trained well, but when we got here we got outmuscled, outbattled and outplayed.
"You know what you're going to get when you come here and we just didn't stand up to it.
"I think there may have been a foul on the keeper in the first goal, but there is nothing you can do about that, the second and the third were the killers.
"There are nine points left to play for and we're going for all of them."
The Lions moved to within two points of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest.
Boss Kenny Jackett said: "We have a lack of strikers for one reason or another at the moment, but the two young lads, Josh McQuoid and John Marquis, came in and did brilliantly.
"They don't have many league games between them so to look that threatening shows the players they are.
"They looked a natural partnership out there and what more can you ask, they both got goals and looked dangerous throughout."
Jackett is relishing the prospect of fighting to the finish in pursuit of a play-off spot.
He added: "To be still in with a play-off chance at this stage of the season is a great achievement in itself, but we've got some very good company in the sides around us.
"We have to focus on ourselves and nothing else.
"Unless you play well yourself you're nowhere, so we're focusing on us alone and everything else that happens, happens, we can't control that."
