- Burton Albion could stay up on the last day of the Championship season
- It would be an incredible feat if they managed to survive for another year
- Burton take on Preston on Sunday and know they cannot afford to lose
Nigel Clough takes Burton Albion to Preston on Sunday hoping to pull off a miraculous escape, but warned that failing to finish the job would hurt all the more after his side had looked doomed a month ago.
Burton lost 5-0 at home to Hull on April 10 and it seemed that relegation was inevitable, but victories over Derby, Sunderland and Bolton have left them one more win from survival.
‘It’s like climbing Everest,’ said Clough. ‘You get 100 metres from the top and think, “I don’t have to go further — it’ll be the same view, so I won’t go the extra few yards. It’s too hard”. No. Get to the top and complete it.’
Nigel Clough is aiming to pull off what he would call is ‘climbing Everest’ with Burton Albion
Clough revealed that Burton did not splash out on a hotel for the Deepdale trip until they were sure they could still escape the drop.
‘It costs a few thousand quid to stay in a hotel overnight, and we could save that for next season,’ said the Albion manager. ‘So until after the Bolton game we didn’t book anything.’
After their three wins in a row, Burton are 22nd in the Championship, short of safety on goal difference. They face a tense afternoon with Reading, Birmingham, Barnsley and Bolton also at risk of dropping into League One.
Burton’s Hoke Akpan will be aiming to score when Clough’s side visit Preston on Sunday
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