THE Clarets have slipped out of the top six of the first division for the first time in three months but manager Stan Ternent remained defiant after the 2-0 home defeat by West Brom last night.

A run of just two points from five games has seen Burnley, top on New Year's Day, caught and passed by the chasing pack but Ternent claimed: "We will still be there or thereabouts come the hay lads' hay in April."

The Clarets head to Watford on Wednesday night in the hope of getting a result that would revive their flagging fortunes and Ternent was today checking on the fitness of three key men who featured in an improved second half display.

Ternent did not feel that Glen Little, Paul Weller or £1million signing Robbie Blake were fit enough to start but the three subs will all be pushing for a full game at Vicarage Road if they have shown no adverse reaction following yesterday's match.

"We have got players coming back and they need the matches," said Ternent.

"Robbie has been injured and Glen played at Cheltenham last weekend when he was not quite right so I gave him a half tonight.

"We have also got Weller coming back and Lennie Johnrose was on the line. We have a lot of games coming up but playing games is better than training."

The manager refuses to be downbeat despite the disappointing run and there was at least more passion and effort on display last night than in the abject capitulation at Cheltenham a week earlier.

"We have come on that quickly, that early, the expectation level is high now," he admitted.

"But that is a good thing and we just have to take this on the chin.

"We don't expect to win them all but we have a good squad of players if they are all fit. We will hopefully have the skipper (Steve Davis) back soon and we are as good as anybody in the league, that's my view."

The last thing Ternent needs is fresh injury worries and that is why winger Alan Moore was swiftly withdrawn in the second half as he complained of a tight hamstring.

"We will have to see how is for Wednesday," said Ternent who will at least have been encouraged by Blake's lively, albeit brief, debut.

That was during an improved second half show from the Clarets, not that that was hard given the struggle before the break.

"The dividing line between success and mediocrity is very fine and tonight we were on the wrong end of it," said the manager.

"But we have to crack on, there is nowt else for it because the next game comes quickly.

"We have not played a lot of games recently and perhaps we are not battle hardened but we will get there."

The chief concerns for Ternent was the lack of penetration from his side and the ease with which Jason Roberts got behind the defence to score twice in five first half minutes to secure the comfortable victory.

The Clarets have scored just twice in the five games since their last league win against Stockport County in mid-December.

With three successive away games over the next week it is a crunch time for Ternent's team.

Burnley's success or failure this season remains in their own hands as they still have games in hand on their promotion rivals.

But if they are to prove their manager's optimism is right, it is now time to start winning them, starting with the trip to Watford.