By Longsider
December 19 2003

Nearly 3,500 Burnley fans will make the short journey to Deepdale tomorrow for the lunchtime kick off against Preston. The Clarets will be looking for a similar performance to the one they produced in the last away game at Sunderland. Burnley take on Preston tomorrow in the first Lancashire Derby of the season. This fixture follows suit of the previous 3 games which have all taken place shortly before Christmas.

Last season's evening encounter finished up with a defeat for the Clarets with Ricardo Fuller running the Burnley defence ragged all night. The previous season's game was a classic with Arthur Gnohere getting a brace in a 3-2 victory to give the Clarets all the points.

The Clarets haven't won away from home since the start of September but will be looking to put that right tomorrow. Stan Ternent has the luxury of a fully fit squad for the game tomorrow with the exception of Alan Moore. Richard Chaplow has served his one match suspension so he's available and Stan has said that he will play. If he start's then it will probably be in place of Paul Weller who has been less than impressive lately.

James McEvely ,who made his debut last Saturday, will probably be given his first start tomorrow although who will replace isn't straight forward. It's also likely that Dean West will replace Lee Roche after Stan made it obvious who he blamed for the goals conceded against Coventry.

North End are in good form and are just outside the play-offs going into the game tomorrow. They've all but sold out the Home End with a few remianing the tickets and the ones that haven't been taken up by Burnley. They started the game at Gillingham with 3 strikers up threat and they well continue with the same formation tomorrow.

Criag Brown also has a fully fit squad with the exception of Summer signing Lee Briscoe, who they got after he was released from Burnley, so the only major change he may make is if he decieds to play 5 at the back which has served the side well this season.

North End have won 7 of their 11 games at home this season but surely we are due a victory away from the Turf and by 3 o'clock tomorrow , we will have hopefully done this.

Predicted Line Up:-

Jensen, West, May, Gnohere, McEvely, Little, Grant, Chaplow, Chadwick, Blake, Moore.

Subs: McGregor, Roche, Weller, Camara and O'Neill

The referee is Mike Dean(Wirrall)