GILLINGHAM visit Turf Moor tomorrow in a game that will have no bearing on the top or bottom of the table.

But Burnley boss Stan Ternent has insisted his side will be determined to go out there and battle hard for both pride and points.

"It has been a bit strange this season because every other year I have been manager of the club we have had something to play for at Easter," he said. "This season we know we are safe in the first division but I would still like to see us finish in the top half of the table."

The Clarets are currently on a miserable run of just one win in 11 games but Ternent has detected signs of improvement as he explained: "I think we have played well in the last three games even though we have lost the last two.

"I might have a few more of the senior players to select tomorrow but I will know better after training today. We got back from Portsmouth at 4.30 in the morning so we only did a light work-out yesterday."

The players who are battling to be in contention include Drissa Diallo, Lee Briscoe, Ian Cox and Andy Payton but Paul Cook and Alan Moore will still be missing.

But having used a couple of young subs in recent matches, youth team players Matty O'Neill and Richard Chaplow, he admitted he will be ready to use them again if he has to.

He is confident that his players will be ready to play two games in three days, with the trip to Nottingham Forest on Monday, but he said: "They are fit enough for every game and all the training we do is done for playing matches. But they are all tough games."