Paul Hart is staying philosophical about the Championship relegation battle.

Saturday's 2-0 defeat to QPR left his Crystal Palace side fourth from bottom, a point ahead of Sheffield Wednesday, with only three games to play.

The Eagles travel to mid-table Derby County this Saturday before facing promoted West Brom at Selhurst Park on April 26 and then going to Hillsborough in what could be a make-or-break relegation match on the last game of the season.

Hart, who kept Portsmouth in the Premier League with 17 points from his 14 games in charge, accepts that the battle to stay up could go right to the wire on May 2 but has told his players they must keep fighting.

"The relegation situation is just the same as it was last week," he said.

"There will be strange results and we have to hold our nerve and just stick in there.

"I think we have got to be strong as a group and hope we can get results that are favourable, that much is obvious.

"It's easy to say but we have to keep on going.

"It is possible that maybe it goes to the last game but I am not a great prophet of doom or of joy."