PHIL Brown has challenged his relegation-threatened troops to set themselves up for a ‘mad March’ by proving how much Championship survival means to them.

Despite taking a point from leaders QPR and promotion chasing Nottingham Forest in their last two games, the former Hull City boss is still awaiting his first win since taking the Deepdale reins in January.

And Brown, bookmakers favourite for the Burnley job in January, is desperate to break his duck against Burnley today – not just to claim bragging rights in the 128th meeting between the two teams – but also to send them in to an action-packed month on a high.

“Three points (today) sets us up for March, when we have five games in two weeks,” said the 51-year-old.

“If we can set a points total that gets us back in the pack and back fighting, then we’ve got eight games to go after that and that’s a nice little challenge for those eight games.

“It’s all about starting with a win on Saturday.

“Burnley have got their agenda and that’s to get into the play-offs and beyond. Our agenda is to get back into the pack and back to making people respect us and understand that we’re still in with a fight, and make people understand that we’ve still got a chance of staying in the Championship.

“That can only happen in one way for me and that’s winning the game.”

Recent history is certainly in Preston’s favour.

In their last seven Deepdale clashes, North End have won six.

But Brown warned: “The form book goes out of the window.

“When you’re coming up against your nearest rivals – and these are just down the road – you want the bragging rights, certainly until the next game. But it goes beyond that.

“Every three points is important but none more so than a derby match.

“You don’t want your local rivals coming and enjoying themselves.”

He added: “You’re after pride, but you’re after performance at the same time.”