Preston 2 Ipswich 2

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Jason De Vos is still looking up towards the Barclays Premier League, although he knows that victory for his Ipswich side over Hull on the day of reckoning will still leave them relying on others to fail for them to make the play-offs.

A strike from Jonathan Walters three minutes from time at Deepdale gave some meaning to the finale to the regular season at Portman Road.

De Vos, the 34-year-old Canadian defender who narrowly missed out on a play- off place with Wigan in 2004, summed up the mood of the team who were staring defeat in the face until that deserved leveller from Walters.

"Next Sunday will be a big game. It'll be 100 miles an hour and there's everything to play for. If we'd been offered this at the start of the season we'd have taken it," said De Vos. "We need other teams to drop points but all we can do is take care of business ourselves."

Preston goalkeeper Andy Lonergan was impressed with Ipswich as they took the lead through Tommy Miller's 25 - yarder after 11 minutes and kept going to rescue a point after Chris Brown, with the aid of a deflection off De Vos, and Neil Mellor struck for the home side.

"It was disappointing in the last 10 minutes but credit to them," said Lonergan.

Preston boss Alan Irvine was envious. He said: "I'd love to be in a position like Ipswich. It would be fantastic to think we still had a chance of the play-offs."

The Daily Mail