TONY Mowbray claims the pressure is on for both teams in tomorrow’s lunchtime clash at Ewood Park – but for very different reasons.

The Blackburn Rovers head coach saw his side grab a injury-time equaliser at Fulham on Tuesday night to maintain his unbeaten record since taking over three weeks ago.

Lucas Joao’s goal at Craven Cottage meant Mowbray’s men moved out of the relegation places again. But with only nine games to go, and just a point separating them from Bristol City, he knows they need to keep that momentum going.

Weekend opponents Preston North End are looking up instead of over their shoulders – six points off the play-offs and harbouring real hopes of promotion to the Premier League two seasons after making the leap out of League One.

But Mowbray says those achievements bring with them a different kind of intensity and he’s preparing for a match neither side will feel they can afford to lose.

“We need to win,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“We’ve had two really creditable draws away from home against top sides, but we need to reinforce that at home with three points.

“So we will be looking to try to get the three points and Preston, realistically with the way the top six has been going and the way Fulham are pushing hard, will have to try to take the three points as well.

“If they don’t get them the teams above them are all very focused on keeping their runs going and keeping in touch with the top two.

“Newcastle had a bad result last weekend and teams like Huddersfield, if they are to stay with them, will feel they have to get three points themselves.”

Apart from long-term absences Adam Henley and Elliott Ward, Mowbray could have a fully-fit squad for the early kick-off at Ewood Park.

That will be a welcome boost for the head coach, who does not have the strength in depth of some of the wealthier outfits in the division.

Preston are another club who don’t have countless millions to spend on swelling their squad, and Mowbray admits he has been impressed with how they’ve gone about establishing themselves in the Championship before having a push for promotion.

He explained: “Preston – and Barnsley are another team you can put into that equation – are not throwing money at it and are still competing very well in the league.

“They have an experienced manager at the helm who has done extremely well. He got them out of the League One via the play-offs and they have established themselves in the Championship over the last couple of years.

“They are looking strong, threatening the play-offs rather than looking over their shoulder, so it can be achieved.

“Whether they can get to those top echelons of automatic promotion (remains to be seen).

“I think the teams at the top end of the table are generally the ones with the budgets, and yet some teams in history have proved that wrong.

“I think if you can get a group of players with a special affinity for each other, a coach who organises his team and gets them to buy into it and believe in the methods, then you can punch well above your weight, as Preston and Barnsley are doing this year.

“I’d like to think that Rovers can do that next year – punch above our weight. But let’s get Saturday out of the way first.”

“Then we can take a huge gulp of air, take a breather from seven games in such a short period of time, get a bit of work done as well as rest, and look forward to the final hurdles.”