Transforming from relegation candidates into promotion hopefuls was always going to be a tough task but now even Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman admits it looks beyond his side.
When Freedman took up his first managerial post 12 months ago his side were in the relegation zone but Palace rallied to stay in the Championship before spending much of the first half of this season in the top half of the table.
But after squandering a lead for the third consecutive League game in their 1-1 draw against Brighton at Selhurst Park last night, Palace
are seven points adrift of sixth in 15th and Freedman feels a promotion push is unlikely.
"It might just not be our time to get into the play-offs," said the 37-year-old.
"Last night is the sort of game we need to win if we want to go into the play-offs. We are a little bit short when it comes to winning games at home, I can't quite put my finger on it because our performances have been good.
"We are not far away from it, we are capable of going on a two or three game run which would springboard us back in there. But I think from where we've come from we are in a place where we are not quite ready for it. You need a little bit of quality up top that will unlock defences and maybe that's what will prevent us getting into the
playoffs."
Chris Martin, who has extended his loan from Norwich until the end of the season, put Palace ahead with a penalty before Brighton's Ashley Barnes leveled with another spotkick.
