January provides the last chance for the Championship promotion chasers to finalise their squads for the big push.

It also represents a golden opportunity for Albion to take a vice-like grip on one of the two automatic promotion spots.

Strengthen from a position of strength is the transfer business mantra for owner-chairman Tony Bloom.

That can also be applied to Albion’s current position at the top of the table and the pattern of the race to reach the Premier League by the time the window shuts.

Reading’s home defeat on Thursday evening, by a Queens Park Rangers side containing three present and past Seagulls in loanee Kazenga LuaLua, Joel Lynch and Grant Hall, was an unexpected bonus.

Reading’s reverse leaves them still eight points adrift of Albion. Chris Hughton’s side are the only one of the contenders still with three matches to play this month, courtesy of the rescheduling of Cardiff’s visit to the Amex postponed at Christmas due to fog.

The Argus:

So Albion head to Preston today with a game in hand over most of their pursuers and two in the case of Leeds and Derby, following their meeting at Elland Road last night in which Chris Wood's header gave the hosts a deserved 1-0 win.

Nine points are up for grabs, not six like their main rivals. It is effectively more, since Cardiff’s trip south follows a six-pointer at home to Sheffield Wednesday next Friday night.

It made sense to insert the Cardiff re-arrangement four nights later, as after that Albion are at Preston or Ipswich in the FA Cup, where Hughton will again field an entirely different team.

That creates for the first XI a nine-day gap to prepare for a six-game February, launched by another key clash at Huddersfield.

By that time there is the potential for Albion to be in an even stronger position than they are now, although first they must overcome another jinx.

At the start of October they ended their Hillsborough hoodoo by winning at Sheffield Wednesday for the first time with a performance regarded by Hughton as their best away from home this season.

A similar historical challenge confronts them at Deepdale today, where Albion have never triumphed in 13 league visits. The only time they have beaten Preston on the road was in an FA Cup tie at Stamford Bridge 109 years ago.

In fact, you have to go back to Withdean in August 2004 and a Marlon Broomes own goal for the Seagulls’ last victory over today’s hosts.

The Argus:

The encounters are frequently tight. The last five meetings have been draws, four of them 0-0 until the fluctuating 2-2 stalemate at the Amex three months ago.

Hughton expects nothing less again against Simon Grayson’s mid-table spoilers, who gave Arsenal a run for their money in the FA Cup last Saturday.

Hughton said: “There are a couple of indicators with Preston. I thought they were very good against Arsenal and probably in the first half should have been further ahead.

“Then, of course, our games against them in recent seasons, they’ve all been very tight, so we certainly know what to expect.

“They have a manager who’s done very well in the period of time that he’s been there, since they were promoted, and we expect a very tough game.”

Grayson is the second longest serving manager in the Championship, one place above Hughton. Consistency has brought consolidation.

The 4-1 home drubbing by Leeds on Boxing Day was an anomaly. Preston’s only other league defeat at Deepdale since early September was a narrow one against Newcastle.

Albion, meanwhile, are disadvantage by a centre of defence adjustment, Lewis Dunk completing his ban for ten cautions.

Hughton said: “Is he a big miss? Yes, because of the form that he’s been in.

“But I certainly don’t want to take anything away from the player (Connor Goldson) that will replace him.

“In Uwe (Huenemeier) and Connor we have two centre-halves that have both been pushing very hard. Connor’s been on the bench for most of this season and was very good in the second half of last season.

“We’ll miss Lewis because of the relationship that he’s had in the back four, but these things are going to happen throughout the season and we have to make sure we make the most of it.”

Making the most of January, with and without Dunk, would go along way towards cementing Albion in an almost unassailable position.

Top 7 remaining January fixtures
Albion: Preston (a), Sheffield Wednesday (h), Cardiff (h).
Newcastle: Brentford (a), Rotherham (h).
Reading: Derby (a), Fulham (h).
Huddersfield: Sheffield Wednesday (a), Ipswich (h)
Leeds: Barnsley (a), Nottingham Forest (h)
Sheffield Wednesday: Huddersfield (h), Albion (a)
Derby: Reading (h), Ipswich (a)