GARY Liddle will answer City’s defensive SOS after yesterday’s costly loss to high-flying Preston left them with a shortage of centre backs.

The early red card for Chris Routis means Phil Parkinson will be three central defenders down for Saturday’s trip to Gillingham – a potential make-or-break afternoon for their play-off hopes.

City are now six points adrift of the top six after going down 3-0 to second-placed North End, who made their man advantage pay by scoring all three after the break.

Chesterfield reinforced their position in the final play-off spot with another win and Rochdale also grabbed a victory deep in stoppage time.

It leaves City with it all to do from their remaining six games but Parkinson was heartened by the spirited effort against Simon Grayson’s promotion-bound visitors.

Parkinson said: “Preston are a good team. You don’t go on a run and be where they are in the league without being very good.

“But I felt we were a match for them at the start and if it had been 11 v 11, it would have been a different game.”

Gary MacKenzie joined Andrew Davies on the pre-match sidelines with stitches in his ankle after damaging ligaments against Doncaster. Neither are expected to be ready for the weekend and Routis is now banned for the next game after his professional foul on Joe Garner.

Parkinson added: “It was a big moment in the game. Everyone came here with so much optimism and I really fancied us.

“The lads were enthused by the win on Friday and it’s such a shame.

“We had started great and Chris had started well. But as soon as the lad got up to head it, you’ve got to readjust your position as a centre back.

“You’ve got to expect the ball to come back over you and it proved really costly.

“That leaves us with the back four that played towards the end. But Liddle’s a good centre back anyway so I’ve no qualms about that.”

Like City on Good Friday, all Preston’s goals came after the break – the first in the opening minute of the second half. Ben Williams saved a penalty from Paul Gallacher, who followed up to net the rebound.

“We did really well up to half-time and I still felt we had a great chance in the game,” said Parkinson. “But then straight from the kick-off we couldn’t have got off to a worse start.

“We found ourselves 1-0 down against a very good side. It was a difficult afternoon and a frustrating one for us.

“The lads never gave in and kept going. But we were the masters of our own downfall.

“It’s such a shame. We had our biggest home crowd of the season in the league and everything was set up for it.

“I just felt we looked right on it and were really relishing the challenge.”

Mark Yeates is expected to be okay despite briefly leaving the game late on after another problem with his dislocated shoulder.