Preston North End v Doncaster Rovers: Doncaster looking to stifle powerful Parkin

DONCASTER Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll says his side would be in the Premier League if they could only maintain the level of performance that stunned Bristol City at the weekend.

Rovers travel to face Preston North End tonight seeking to build on Saturday's 5-2 victory but O'Driscoll acknowledges that inconsistency is an obstacle for the majority of clubs in the Championship.

"If we maintain that level of the performance, we will be in the Premier League," he said.

"It showed what we are capable of.

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"Consistency is the thing everyone is striving for. There is not much between all the teams in this division. Only Newcastle have found consistency on a regular basis.

"Preston are the same as just about every team in this division and on their day, they are as good as anyone else in the league.

"We will go into it with confidence after our last away performance and it is a good test."

O'Driscoll believes former Barnsley and York City striker Jon Parkin will be a major threat to a Rovers defence which is missing its more physical components in Jason Shackell, Shelton Martis and Elliott Ward.

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"We always have to play with a bit of guile and intelligence as we are not the biggest and most powerful team in the league," he said.

"We dealt with (Bristol City's) Chris Iwelumo – who is arguably a bigger physical threat. People look at (Parkin's) size but technically he is as good as anything there is.

"He is in good goalscoring form at the moment and no matter what we do he is going to be a threat at some stage in the game."

Defender Ward could miss his second consecutive game due to twisted testes.

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O'Driscoll revealed that Ward, who is currently on a month's loan from Coventry City, would travel with the squad but said the problem was 'as painful as it sounds.'

Last six games: Preston WDLLWD, Rovers WWLLDW.

Last time: Preston 1 Rovers 0; December 9, 2008; Championship.

Referee: PT Crossley (Kent).