No pressure on Rams in play-off race - Eustace

Derby County are approaching their last-day bid to gatecrash the play-offs as if they were playing for Championship survival all over again, according to Rams boss John Eustace.

Twelve months on from avoiding relegation in their final game last season, Derby are challenging for a top-six finish and a shot at Premier League promotion.

The eighth-placed Rams need to beat Sheffield United at Pride Park on Saturday, and have both Wrexham and Hull City above them drop points, for them to leap into the play-off spots.

When asked by BBC Radio Derby how different the mentality is going into the 46th league game of the season with a chance of promotion to play for, rather than salvation at stake, Eustace said: "It's the same.

"What we did last year was like a small miracle. To stay in the league after losing my first three games, and being seven points off safety with 11 games to go, was an unbelievable effort.

"It was fight, togetherness and spirit that got them through. And it's been the same this season, and it will be the same going into the last game with something to play for.

"Derby County's motto is that we fight to the end, and we have certainly done that."

It took an 88th-minute goal from Jaydon Banel in Derby's thrilling come-from-behind win at Queens Park Rangers a week ago to ensure the Rams would take their play-off hopes to the final day of the campaign.

While Derby have been among the contenders for a top-six finish for the majority of the season, they have spent little time in the play-off places.

They were briefly sixth in February, but have not been there for the 13 games since.

While Derby might remain outliers in the race for the play-offs, Eustace said the Rams have already spent much of the season confounding expectations.

"We have been written off for a large part of this season already, so its makes no difference to us - we'll concentrate on ourselves," he told BBC East Midlands Today.

"It hasn't really been in our hands for a lot of the season. We haven't really cemented a top-six place at any stage and just flirted with it. It's been in everyone else's hands.

"The group is going to enjoy it, there's no pressure on us. We have to enjoy and embrace the occasion, and if we are lucky enough to get the three points, let's see how the other two do."