HAVING lost for the first time in two months on Saturday, Clarets defender Ian Cox is delighted that they are straight back in action at Grimsby tonight.

"We have got to look to try and start another run and the important thing is to bounce back as soon as possible," he said.

"It is good that we have got the game at Grimsby because we can start to put things right. You always want to do that as soon as possible."

He is also relieved that he will be fit for selection after coming off in the second half of the 3-0 defeat by Pompey.

"I never like coming off but I did not feel right," he said. "I went up for a challenge with Quashie and he fell down on top of me. It happened at a time when I thought we had a good chance of getting back into the game but it was disappointing that we did not convert our chances."

Cox's form alongside Arthur Gnohere has been very impressive in recent weeks and he admitted: "I do feel pretty good at the moment but the team as a whole has been doing well.

"The boys in front of us have been making it easier and Gareth, Ian and Blakey have been doing great for us.

"We have been defending from the front and it is not unusual to see Mooro back at right back and Robbie all the way back in his own half."

And he also believes that skipper Steve Davis has been a big factor in the recent good run in his new role in midfield.

"Steve has done a great job protecting us and he has won so many headers from kicks from their goalie. He has made a big difference and has won the ball well for us."

Having had the attacking talents of Portsmouth to contend with on Saturday, it is Steve Kabba who is likely to carry the biggest threat to Cox and Co.

Like Cox he started his career at Crystal Palace and the Burnley man said: "I don't know much about him but I have seen one of his goals against Preston and it was a beauty.

"He is meant to be quite quick and strong and it is going to be another hard match for us. We have not done very well at Grimsby in the past couple of seasons but we have just got to go out there and do a job, be professional.

"Obviously defeat at any time is bad but our loss there at the end of last season was very disappointing."

It has been a hectic schedule for the Clarets and Cox knows that two high profile games are just around the corner, the Lancashire derby with Preston and then the Worthington Cup clash with Spurs.

"The games are coming thick and fast but we have got to get the Grimsby game out of the way first," he said. "We can only take one game at a time and so the Preston and Spurs games are on the back burner for now."

October has been another good month for the Clarets, even allowing for the setback on Saturday, and Cox is hopeful it can be rounded off with another win to heap more misery on the Mariners.