Preston v Burnley: Coyle hoping stars avoid the red mist (From Preston and Leyland Citizen)

Preston v Burnley: Coyle hoping stars avoid the red mist

1:10pm Friday 16th January 2009

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IN the three Burnley-Preston North End derbies that Clarets manager Owen Coyle has presided over, one team has ended the game with at least 10 men.

With seven red cards already brandished to his players this season and winger Wade Elliott banned tomorrow as a result of accumulated bookings, the Scot will be desperate to make sure all of his chosen 11 stay on the field at Deepdale.

Nevertheless, given what’s at stake, the Burnley boss still expects a keenly contested showdown.

“In my experience, the games have been dramatic,” said Coyle. “In the last three there have been sending-offs; we lost two men here last season, then Clarke Carlisle at Preston, and Callum Davidson was sent off here earlier in the season.

“But there’s no doubt there’s terrific quality on show, and that’s been evident in all three games in my tenure.

“I don’t expect this game to be any different. Both teams will try to pass and move the ball and try to win.”

For not only are the usual bragging rights up for grabs, but an all-important play-off spot. Burnley fell a point behind sixth-placed Preston following last week’s defeat to Swansea – their third on the bounce in the Championship.

But Coyle knows the gap is far from insurmountable.

“It was disappointing to drop out of the top six, there’s no getting away from it,” said the Burnley boss.

“We’ve enjoyed winning and having that feeling after matches, but the bottom line is we’re not anywhere we haven’t been before.

“We were 24th and fought to get back up there, and we’ll look to get back there again.

"We’re going into the game looking to get back into the top six, where we’ve been for 10 or 11 weeks.

"We’ve been used to being in there, but the only way you get back in there is by reaching the performance levels you’ve done before, and winning those tough, tough games that come week in, week out.

"When all’s said and done, it’s a derby, but it’s the same three points that are available.

"If we get them, because of the nature of the derby and what it means to everybody, then there would be a certain feelgood factor that comes with it.

"That’s going to take a massive effort at Preston, they are in terrific form, but we want to be back in those play-off places.

"We’re sat a point behind them, bearing in mind after four games we were eight behind them, so that shows you how far we’ve come.”

He added: "There’s very little to choose between the two at this moment in time, and that’s borne out by the league positions.

"Preston had a magnificent result at Wolves, leapfrogged us in the table, and we want to get back to where we’ve been before, but to do that, we’ll have to be at our best, with everybody playing to their maximum.

"Again, we’re blighted by injury and suspension, but we’ll get on with it and give it a real go.”

Wade Elliott serves a one-match ban for accumulated bookings, while Chris McCann and leading scorer Martin Paterson missed yesterday’s training session due to injuries sustained in midweek.

But Coyle continued: "If they make it, terrific, if they don’t, there’s no point worrying about what we don’t have, we have to get on with it, and whoever wears the jersey will wear it with pride.

"The players know what is expected of them, it’s important to the football club, to the fans, but you can’t lose sight of what you’re trying to do, to pass and move and reach your standard of performance, and if we do that, we can win the game.”

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