NORTH End have slipped into the play-off quagmire after picking up just one point from six during the crunch Easter campaign.

A shock defeat at the hands of Colchester on Good Friday and one point from Monday's battling draw against Manchester City, pictured, resulted in North End surrendering their four point lead over third-placed Walsall.

The Brummie side leap-frogged over North End on Tuesday night when they beat Wrexham 1-0. To make matters worse, Walsall still have a game in hand, giving Moyes' side a small mountain to climb if they want to be assured of automatic promotion at the end of the season.

But spirits at the training ground are still high, especially since PNE have been told they can keep goal-machine Steve Basham on loan at Deepdale until the end of the season.

Fans had feared that Basham, who had Deepdale in raptures when he scored in the first minute during North End's clash with Manchester City, would be forced to go back to Southampton as the Saints launch a valiant attempt to survive in the Premiership.

Basham has been an immediate hit with the PNE fans, slotting in perfectly alongside Kurt Nogan. In just 11 games, he has racked away eight goals, playing an invaluable role in keeping PNE in contention for the automatic promotion slot.

Manager Moyes said: "The boy is enjoying himself here and he has done very well for us.

"We have got him for a third month and hopefully he will help us to get straight into Division 1 on May 8.

"I have confirmed with Dave Jones that he can stay until the end of the season. If we go into the play-offs I don't know what the situation would be. I'm only guessing we wouldn't have him. The only other way would be if we signed him."

For the first time this year, the play-off battle is now a realistic possibility, making this weekend's away clash at lowly Macclesfield a must win - for both teams.

PNE only managed to draw with the newly promoted side when they met at Deepdale earlier this season in a pulsating game which ended three a piece.

It can be expected that PNE will field the same side which played the Easter double-header.

With no players injured during the games, and none of the long-term casualties back to match fitness yet, it looks likely that Moyes will stick with his team, complete with its additions in the form of Graham Alexander and Neil Clement.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.