Wanderers' fans have resigned themselves to another stint of 'overtime' today after being sentenced to the play-offs for the third successive season.

Blackburn's victory at Preston last night secured the second automatic promotion place for Rovers, leaving Sam Allardyce bitterly disappointed but doubly determined.

The Reebok boss had feared the worst after a run of disappointing home results handed the initiative to Graeme Souness' side but had his hopes raised by three wins in a row - at home to Norwich and away to Barnsley and Wolves.

So, when the crunch came, it was a bodyblow.

"I said a long time ago that it might take 90 points or more to get that second spot and, unfortunately, I've been proved right," Allardyce said ruefully this morning.

"We could finish with 89 points on Sunday and you'd have to go back a long way to find a season when that wasn't enough to clinch automatic promotion.

"It shows how abnormal a season this has been.

"Now we have to recover from the disappointment and make sure we are focused on the play-offs. The object of the exercise now is to be ready for what we hope will be three crucial games with the most important being a week on Sunday.

"What we must understand though is that, just because we've finished so far ahead of everyone else, we are by no stretch of the imagination going to get an easy ride.

"The play-offs aren't like that. We've had a fantastic season but we have to earn the right to be up there all over again."

The Deepdale result - Matt Jansen scored the only goal 18 minutes from time - leaves Wanderers with nothing to play for in Sunday's final game of the regular season at home to Sheffield United.

With third place already secured, the only issue to be decided is which of the three teams - Preston, Birmingham or West Brom - they will meet in the play-off semi-finals. On current standings, they would meet Gary Megson's Albion but with only a point covering the three clubs, it could be all change on Sunday when the key games are Preston-West Brom and Huddersfield-Birmingham. All games kick off at 1.30.

Allardyce is expected to take the opportunity to rest a number of the players who have come through a tense and hectic few weeks.

"I had hoped to be going into Sunday's game with something to play for, knowing a win would put pressure on Blackburn," the manager lamented. "Unfortunately that's not to be.

"It's robbed us of what would have been an exciting afternoon with a big atmosphere."