BURNLEY birthday boy Gareth Taylor will be happy to wait 24 hours for his perfect present - an FA Cup victory against Fulham.

Taylor, 30 today, believes there is no reason why the Clarets can't spring a Cup shock and he is hoping that the home fans at Turf Moor will be ready to play their part.

"When the fans get right behind us they are incredible," he claimed as he looked ahead to tomorrow's mouthwatering match.

"That night against Spurs earlier in the season they were like an extra man and there is no doubt they helped us to victory.

"And in the first match against Fulham they were tremendous, behind us all the way through. There is no doubt that they had an impact and hopefully they will do the same at Turf tomorrow night."

Taylor was on target for the 11th time this season in the 2-0 defeat of Derby County at the weekend and he is on course to better his previous best total of 16, recorded last season.

And while he is aware of the importance of the Cup clash, Taylor is still insisting that the league campaign takes priority.

"The Derby match was definitely the bigger game of the two and it was a big boost to win it," he said. "In reality, whatever happens against Fulham we are going to be hard pushed to win the FA Cup.

"We have a lot of work to do in the league but we believe we can reach the top six."

Today that league push is on the backburner and Taylor is hoping that the Clarets good form against Premiership sides and those recently relegated from the top flight will continue.

"We have not seemed to have too much of a problem against the supposedly bigger clubs for the past two seasons," he said. "I don't know whether it is because we raise our game but we have done well.

"The problem is that we have not done so well against the lesser clubs."

Having beaten Tottenham and then given Manchester United a good game in the Worthington Cup earlier in the season, the Clarets are hoping for more glory and a trip to Watford in the quarter-finals a week on Sunday.

All the players have echoed Taylor's praise for the support that travelled to Loftus Road for the first game, with Graham Branch claiming that a similar level of support at home would see them go unbeaten through a season.

The atmosphere was strangely muted at Turf Moor on Saturday against Derby, perhaps with the supporters saving their voices for the Cup clash.

But if they are to make home advantage count and exploit any tiredness within the Cottagers following their hard fought draw at Spurs last night, there is no doubt the fans have their part to play.

And if the Clarets can record a victory, it will ensure that Taylor has a 30th birthday he will never forget.