Clarets boss Stan Ternent is waiting to check on the fitness of key defender Ian Cox before finalising his plans for tomorrow's derby clash with Preston.

"Coxy has had his scan results back and that is clear but he is still a little sore behind his knee," he said.

"But I will give him as long as I can and that means until tomorrow. Everybody else is okay except for Gordon Armstrong who has a long term problem but even he is getting closer."

Cox was undoubtedly missed at Grimsby on Tuesday night as the Clarets shipped six goals in that most remarkable of games.

But Ternent confessed: "I can't lose any sleep over it because I just have to get on with things, that is the nature of the job.

"We have been through the video and had a good talk about what happened but we just have to accept it was a freak result. I haven't seen anything like it and I don't think I will again.

"But I still think that we are getting closer to being a really good team and we just need to tighten up from the other night."

In saying that, it is clear the manager does a nice line in understatement but his contentment with his side's attacking play is well justified.

His three man strike force shared five goals between them, Gareth Taylor and Robbie Blake netting a brace and Ian Moore scoring one and creating another.

With Dimitri Papadopoulos continuing to provide a real threat from the bench, the North End defence can expect to have a busy time at Deepdale tomorrow tea-time.

"We have got some very good attacking options and we played well going forward the other night," he said.

North End have been struggling to win matches this season although they have not lost many and they will be looking to reverse the results of last season when the Clarets did the double over them.

The 3-2 win at Deepdale was secured courtesy of Arthur Gnohere's first goals in English football and he is one player who will be desperate to make an impact again.

Ternent singled him out for criticism after his part in Tuesday's defeat when he was taken off five minutes before the break but he has been a consistent performer this season.

Meanwhile talks with keeper Marlon Beresford about a new contract are continuing and Ternent admitted: "I am still on with that."

His current deal has been specially extended to run just beyond next Wednesday's Worthington Cup third round tie with Tottenham Hotspur but both parties are known to be looking for a longer deal.

At the moment it is a question of finding a solution that will satisfy the club and the player.

Beresford admitted: "I am hoping that something will be sorted out before the Spurs game."