ROBERT Koren has urged his team-mates to build on Tuesday's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday as he aims to avoid the lottery of the play-offs.

The Baggies midfielder, who fired the winner against the Owls, suffered play-off heartbreak in his first season with the club.

He was part of the team that lost 1-0 to Derby at Wembley and he is determined to hang onto an automatic promotion place having fired Albion back into second spot, two points clear of Nottingham Forest, with 11 games remaining.

"I was involved in the play-offs when I arrived at the club and my experience is not nice," said Koren.

"I prefer the top two so hopefully we will get good results at the end of the season and stay out of the play-offs.

"The play-offs are very difficult and there is a lot of pressure on those games.

"I think we have enough quality to show in the last 11 games that we are good enough.

"We have done a great job so far and we need to stick together.

"We have our fans behind us and they are doing a great job, and on the field we have to play our part.

"Everybody needs to play a part and if we believe it as one, we can do it."

The World Cup-bound Slovenia international also feels Roberto Di Matteo's squad is shaping up nicely for the run-in, with long-term injury victims James Morrison, Ishmael Miller and Giles Barnes all available for selection again.

"That is one of the biggest things," Koren added.

"We have a big squad now with good players and it's good to see all of the injured players coming back.

"They are showing the right spirit and from the first one to the last one we need to look like a team together.

"From the first to the last everybody has to stick together as a team.

"It's not about personal things, it doesn't matter who is playing, we need to stick together, get the right results and reach first or second place at the end of the season."