ALL TO PLAY FOR

New Crystal Palace Manager Paul Hart replaced Neil Warnock in the dug out for the first time on Saturday and the players responded in the best possible manner. A 1-0 win over Play-Off chasing Sheffield United duly followed and skipper Shaun Derry is calling for his team-mates to deliver another three points this evening against Bristol City.

Paying tribute to the immediate impact of his new boss, Derry told the Croydon Guardian: "We know we are in a relegation-threatened position and that performance on Saturday was for Crystal Palace.

"Paul has come in with a real open mind and I think he respects the fact that we wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for administration.

"He clearly believes in us as players and I thought the response from a difficult week was really good against a strong Sheffield United side.

"He didn't want us to lose the spirit, determination and the hunger installed in us through Neil Warnock and I thought we showed it well."

Bristol City sit 15th in the Coca-Cola Championship, just five points above Palace and with their visitors also having a game in hand they know there is no margin for error if they are to put some space between themselves and the relegation zone this evening.

Having taken just five points from a possible 18 in their last six matches they'll be looking to improve that record away at Selhurst Park. Robins' boss Gary Johnson will also be expecting a response from his players following their 5-2 defeat at the hands of Doncaster Rovers.

Johnson told Bristol City Player: "We need to get our tin helmets on and accept we'll need to battle for a result away from home.

"We must do that, especially down at Palace. Neil Warnock's not there any more but certainly a lot of their players are.

"There's still a bit of friction between the two teams and maybe that's what we need. We need to down there and have a bit of a fight.

"Of course you've still got to play a football match and be clever in their final third.

"But the players must realise they need to put in as much running and as many tackles as they've ever done."

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU

Doncaster Rovers aforementioned win at the weekend means they will travel to Preston North End full of confidence to face a side one point and one place below them in the middle of the Championship table.

Goalkeeper Neil Sullivan might not have had his busiest afternoon on Saturday and whilst he would nearly love another evening of the same, he knows Rovers will face a touch test at Deepdale.

The 40-year-old explained to www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk: "I think the way we approach it after that good win is important.

"Confidence will be high. We've got to try and play the way we play and hopefully we'll be good enough to beat them.

"They're a good side, an organised side but we're a good side ourselves and we're playing well so it's going to be an interesting game, very interesting. We'll have a good look at their shape and go through how we can combat their strengths.

"I think it's important that we try and play the game at our tempo, play the game how we want to play and hopefully we'll be good enough to win."

Preston will be looking to kick-start a run of three consecutive home matches with a victory as they look to move themselves into the top half of the table.

For Peterborough United loanee Tom Williams, with nine points available before they next leave Deepdale it's an important period for the Lillywhites.

The left back told www.pne.com: "The three home games are huge - absolutely huge. In the three games the crowd can get behind us and really give us an impact. You know we really want to step on these three games and I think it could define the last months of the season for us.

"They're [Doncaster] a good side - they pass the ball well. Sometimes they over pass but when it comes off for them it can make them look really good.

It will be a difficult game so hopefully we can dominate them physically and take it from there. They're like ourselves sitting mid-table sort of looking over your shoulder one way and down the bottom the other.

"We can both go either way so it is a big game and three points could push us a little bit closer to the play-off spot."

IN NEED OF THE POINTS

Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion meet tonight with both teams in need of the points for different reasons, whilst the Baggies have two teams sitting above them at the top of the Championship, there are just two sides keeping the Owls off the bottom of the division.

For Wednesday though there is plenty to play for, just three points separate Alan Irvine's side with 16th place and with Scunthorpe United not playing even a draw this evening would be enough to take them out of the relegation zone.

With a near full strength squad to choose from and boosted by a 2-0 win over Leicester City at the weekend, Irvine is hoping for much more.

"It looks like we will have everyone to choose from with the exception of Lewis Buxton," Irvine told www.swfc.co.uk.

"It's great to have choices. Saturday was the first time in a long time where we've been in a position where fit players have been sitting in the stand.

"That's a more difficult thing to manage, but we are paid to make these decisions and deal with players who are maybe disappointed because they are not involved. But that is a much better option than having no flexibility.

"The Hawthorns is a tough place anyway but will be harder because of the quality of the strength of the team and the ability of the players.

"They are a team who on their day will carve anybody open and even when they are not on their day, they have individuals who might just do something spectacular or unexpected that gets them out of trouble."

A win tonight for West Brom from this game in hand would see them climb above Forest and back into the automatic promotion spots.

To do that though they'll have to get back into the habit of winning matches following recent defeats by Bristol City and Queens Park Rangers. A win over Derby was sandwiched between but that has been their only three point haul in over a month and it's something Manager Roberto Di Matteo wants to see put right tonight.

Di Matteo told www.wba.co.uk: "We were very disappointed with our last game and we know it is a must-win game for us tonight," said.

"But first of all we need to make sure that we work hard and we match every team for all the basics.

"That means the fighting, the tackling and all that stuff, and hopefully in the long-term our quality will shine. Most teams that come here, we know what they do.

"They will be parking ten players behind the ball and trying to be dangerous on the break and from set-pieces.

"Sometimes you have to be patient but you also have to start sharply, start with a degree of tempo, be positive and play your game.

"We have to be strong mentally and physically to get through the last 12 games.

"We have had some ups and I have to say our supporters in our last home game against Derby were magnificent.

"It was one of the best performances by the supporters and I think that helped the team a lot."

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