BURNLEY boss hailed on loan goalkeeper Marlon Beresford's achievement of playing 300 games for the Clarets and admitted: "If I can extend his loan period I will."

The former Turf Moor favourite returned to the club on loan a month ago and his loan spell will be up after tomorrow's game with Birmingham City.

Nik Michopoulos is still working towards full fitness but Ternent has been delighted with his replacement's form.

"Marlon is a very good goalkeeper and I think it has been a home from home for him coming back here," he said. "He has done really well for us.

"I will look at his situation after the Birmingham game and I will obviously have to speak to him."

Beresford made a couple of key saves in Saturday's 2-1 win at Crewe and Ternent is calling on his players to finish the season with an unbeaten run as the promotion dream stays very much alive.

The Blues visit Turf Moor tomorrow night to face a Clarets side buoyed by a run of five games without defeat and on a high after the weekend's deserved triumph.

"That is five unbeaten and I would like to go another 12," claimed Ternent after seeing Gareth Taylor and Alan Moore grab the vital goals for a ninth away win of the season.

"We have come through a bit of a sticky patch but we have now got 60 points with 12 games to play . I am not too bothered about what happens elsewhere but we know there will be lots of twists and turns to come."

Saturday's match certainly had its share of thrilling moments and having moaned about his side's failure to convert pressure into goals in previous games, he was delighted to see them go two up before the hour.

The opening goal came from a usual suspect if not in the usual manner as Taylor netted his 13th goal of the season but his first with his foot from open play.

"I'm delighted for him," said Ternent. "That is 13 for the season and there is still a quarter of it to go. He has scored some crucial goals for us."

For much of the match Taylor again filled a lone striking role but he fulfilled Crewe boss Dario Gradi's pre match prediction that he was the danger man.

The second goal was a wonder strike from Alan Moore after a flowing move involving Paul Cook, Dean West and Paul Weller.

But Ternent feels his side would have enjoyed a more comfortable win if it had not been for the heroics of Clayton Ince in the home goal.

"They had a little spell where they put us under pressure but we saw that through and their keeper has had to make some world class saves," he said.

"The ones from Ian Cox's header and from Dean West's shot were fantastic."

With the games coming thick and fast Ternent has another injury worry to deal with ahead of tomorrow's crucial clash.

"Gordon Armstrong tweaked his hamstring and had to come off," he said as the experienced utility player was forced to limp off after just 32 minutes of his first start in five months.

He had been asked to fill a midfield role just in front of centre halves Ian Cox and Kevin Ball but he has now joined Tony Grant on the sidelines.

At least Ternent will be able to include Arthur Gnohere in his plans for tomorrow having served his one match ban for five bookings.

Ternent knows that there are many more difficult battles ahead but he took heart from the way his players dealt with the threat of a Crewe side he is backing to beat the drop.

"I honestly believe that Crewe are in a false position," he said. "Once they have got the Cup out of the way they won't have any problem, they are a good side."

Ternent had stressed last week that his side needed to get a couple of breaks to get back on the winning trail after a run of just one victory in nine.

He got that in the 71st minute when both Efte Sodje and Rodney Jack managed to hit the woodwork when well placed to equalise.

Such incidents can turn a season and now the Clarets will be looking to continue their upward momentum with two crunch home games against sides just outside the top six, Birmingham and Norwich.

Meanwhile Ternent has dismissed the latest transfer speculation, linking him with a move for Newcastle United left back Wayne Quinn. "I have not enquired about him," he said.