Preston have consistently threatened on the edge of the play-offs through the season, and they are perfectly poised to finish there at the end of the season.

The Lilywhites may not be the most exciting side, but they are one of the most efficient based on resources and the quality of players at their disposal.

Alex Neil is only in his first season in charge, but he has overseen a fantastic season so far. They are currently in eight place with two points separating them from the play-offs.

Preston can continue to defy expectations as teams and pundits write them off. Here are three reasons why they can finish the season with a chance of promotion...

Alex Neil has created a formidable defensive unit at Preston which should serve them well for the remainder of the season.

They have the sixth best defensive record in the league with the the five teams better than them in this regard all in the play-offs. Throughout the season, they have been able to grind out results. 13 clean sheets is testament to that with ten games won by a solitary goal.

15 draws and only eight losses shows how hard they are to beat, which would serve them well if they finish in the play-offs. Only four sides have scored more than two goals against them with three of those coming in bad run of form.

Therefore, they can rely on this solidity in the key games remaining.

Preston's remaining games may not look the easiest on paper, but the timing of when they play certain teams is crucial.

Reading, Leeds, QPR and Norwich are all sides they are due to play in a four game spell in April with the Royals being the only one that is potentially going to have something important to play for due to their relegation worries.

Their next opponents, Sheffield Wednesday, are on a good run, but they have managed to ease themselves away from the relegation dogfight, so they won't be desperate for a result while their last opponents of the season, Burton, have a strong chance of being relegated by that point.

This shows that the remaining schedule could play perfectly into their hands.

Neil has emphasised the collective over the individuals which has brought substantial success. Top goalscorer Jordan Hugill moved to West Ham in January, but it did little to affect results which emphasises the mentality that has been instilled by Neil.

In his absence other players such as Tom Barkhuizen and Sean Maguire have stepped up. This lack of reliance on an individual to change a game means they are unlikely to suffer a dip in form because injuries and suspensions have little impact.

Against the top opponents, this can make them predictable, but they only have Derby left to play out of the top six. Therefore, this collective identity could carry them through the remaining games into the play-offs where their defensive solidity will come into it's own. It's a clear team effort, so Neil can rely on his entire squad in the final run-in which is a significant advantage.