Luton virtually assured of having home advantage in play-offs after Blackburn are held by Preston

Luton Town are virtually assured of having home advantage during the Championship play-offs after Blackburn Rovers conceded a stoppage time equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Preston North End yesterday.

The visitors had led through Sammie Szmodics with 10 minutes to go, only to be breached at the death for the second game running, when Dominic Hyam scored an own goal.

The result means that Preston moved up to ninth, but Blackburn dropped to seventh as they are on 65 points, which with three games to go, means they can't overtake Luton, who are on 75.

With Burnley already up and Sheffield United virtually assured of second, it means Town can now only be overtaken by two sides, one being Middlesbrough, Michael Carrick’s side a point below ahead of their meeting at Kenilworth Road on Monday.

The other is West Bromwich Albion in eighth, but to do that, the Baggies must win all of their remaining four fixtures, overturning Luton’s superior goal difference of nine, and hope that the Hatters lose all of their final three outings.

Should Luton secure a final placing of third of fourth, which is now increasingly likely, it means they will be away in the first leg of the play-offs next month, with the second leg at a packed out Kenilworth Road.