NEIL ‘OFF TO HIDE’ AS HE LEAVES PRESTON

PRESTON have parted company with boss Alex Neil after a dismal run of one win in nine games. North End had a turbulent January window in which they lost three of their star players and made nine signings — six of which were loans. Neil (right) was left disgruntled by the mass changes and subsequent performances were poor. ‘He leaves us with our thanks,’ read a club statement, which confirmed Frankie McAvoy would take interim charge. Saturday’s 1-0 loss at home to Luton, via a late Daniel Iversen own goal, was the final match of Neil’s three-and-a-half-year reign. He admitted after the match: ‘I’m going to go home, crawl under my bed, then hope the world is a better place in a couple of days’ time.’ There was a party at SWANSEA but it was the noisy neighbours who were celebrating after CARDIFF’S 1-0 win put them in touching distance of the play-offs. The visiting players did a post-match huddle, a nod to Swansea’s antics after they won in Cardiff in December. Makeshift wing back Joe Ralls said: ‘They celebrated with a huddle at our place, so we decided to do the same. The music was on and the boys were happy.’ WATFORD are strong favourites to join Norwich back in the Premier League at the first time of asking after a 3-0 win over BIRMINGHAM. Their fifth straight victory established a six-point cushion between second and third. They overwhelmed struggling

Birmingham with goals from Ken Sema, Nathaniel Chalobah and Andre Gray. The Blues are in trouble, three points above Rotherham in 22nd having played four games more. Angry fans paid for a plane to fly a banner over Vicarage Road calling for the head of CEO Xuandong Ren. BRENTFORD’S stuttering form continued in a 1-1 home draw with NOTTINGHAM FOREST. Bees manager Thomas Frank said: ‘The margins of the football gods didn’t go our way. It should easily have been a 3-0 win — or 4-1 if you want to give Forest their goal.’