Billy Davies has urged his players to use their FA Cup defeat as the benchmark for future performances.

The manager has ensured several of his players will watch videos of key moments of the Middlesbrough encounter to show them the difference between Premiership and Championship football.

And with North End currently in the top six, Davies hopes that the experience of playing against a Premiership team will help his players raise their game even further.

Davies said: "I have said to the lads to look at the things like the quality of their finishing.

"David Nugent had four great shots over the bar and that is the difference between the Championship and the Premiership.

"I said to our players, look at the stats. We can talk about possession but the stats: on target four shots, off target seven shots. That's us.

"Then look at them: on target three times and they scored three goals.

"It's a very big lesson and that lesson is that you have to be more clinical if you are going to make that dominance pay off. We didn't let anyone down but we're learning all the time."

While Sunday's result led to the end of their 25-game unbeaten run, the club still boasts 22 league games without defeat.

Davies said: "I'm very proud to be on the run we're on and the play-offs are within our grasp. We don't want to get carried away but we are up there fighting."

However, that 22-game run faces the toughest test of all this weekend, against runaway leaders Reading.

They recent lost to Luton, ending their own impressive run without defeats.

And North End are set to welcome back Graham Alexander this week, after nearly a month on the sidelines.

He has been on the sidelines with a hamstring strain, but that hasn't stopped him being called up to the Scotland squad to play Switzerland next week.

Off the field, striker David Nugent has given the clearest sign yet that he wants to stay at Deepdale.

He said: "Speculation is always nice but I am fully focussed on getting Preston into the Premiership."

Talks between the club and Nugent over a new contract continue.