Huddersfield Town manager Danny Cowley not happy to stay up via Wigan Athletic's point deduction

The Latics are set to receive a 12-point deduction if they finish outside the Championship's bottom three, if the penalty was applied immediately it would see them drop to the foot of the table.

Huddersfield are among a number sides battling to beat the drop, with the team who finishes in 22nd after 46 games likely to benefit from Wigan's points deduction.

However, Cowley does not want to see the Terriers avoid relegation in such a fashion, insisting he is determined for Huddersfield to stay outside the bottom three with their own results.

"Our focus is just on us and I feel terribly sorry for the people Wigan; the staff and the players and particularly the supporters," said Cowley following Huddersfield's 0-0 draw with Preston North End.

"I love football, I'm a football supporter, and I wouldn't want to see what's happened to them happen to anybody.

"We want to do it on our own merit. I will get no pride or feeling of contentment if we stay up on virtue of another team going into administration and having points deducted.

"We want to do it on our own mertis, that is what we set out to do from the moment we came in."

Cowley was pleased with his side's defensive display against Preston but felt they lacked a "spark" in the final third.

The Terriers had the only shot on goal of the contest and while the Lilywhites had the majority of possession, they failed to trouble Huddersfield until the final minutes of the match.

The Town manager introduced Steve Mounie at half time while bringing on Emile Smith-Rowe with 35 minutes to play in an attempt to produce more going forward.

Cowley added: "We didn't quite spark in the final third but when Steve came on we got a bit of focus. I think he knows now how much he's needed and feels he can make a real contribution.

"We would have loved to have started Emile but he's a young boy and we can't break him. It is what it is.

"It's a good point, another clean sheet, four points from two games and two unbeaten.

"Playing three games in six days is really difficult with the energy levels the players need."

The Terriers chief underlined the importance of his defence, as Huddersfield moved one point closer to 50 points, a total Cowley feels could be enough to keep his side up.

He said: "When you don't play well in the attacking end of the pitch then you need to keep the back door closed.

"I thought we did that very well today.

"The two centre-halves, Richard Stearman and Christopher Schindler, and Jonathan Hogg in front of them, were exceptional.

"Preston had some good possession and they are a tough team to play.

"We want to play with a high press but we can't do that every game because the games are coming thick and fast."