CANVEY Island coach Glenn Pennyfather played under Clarets boss Stan Ternent at Crystal Palace more than a decade ago and he admitted: "Knowing Stan, there is no way he will underestimate us."

Pennyfather's first reaction after hearing the draw was to look forward to meeting up with a coach he admires and one he claims to have learned from.

"Stan is as good as gold and he was a pleasure to work with," claimed the man who has been credited with inspiring the rise of Canvey Island in recent years, working alongside manager Jeff King.

"He is a great lad, a really good motivator and his coaching was excellent. He was working with Steve Coppell and we had a really good team at the time with people like Ian Wright and Mark Bright.

"I have worked under other good coaches, including Ian Evans who was at Palace before Stan and especially John Lyall when I was at Ipswich. But I certainly learned from Stan and he is a man I respect.

"Funnily enough I spoke to him in the summer to see about the possibility of a pre-season friendly. Perhaps we might get one next summer."

Tomorrow's game is a long way from being a friendly with a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup at stake.

"Stan knows the situation and he will have his lads geared up for the game," said 38-year-old Pennyfather. "They are professional and obviously doing very well this season.

"But we have got a great squad this season, better than the one that won the FA Trophy last season. We are now in a position where we have 20 lads in it of comparable ability so if players are out we can just bring people in.

"Steve Tilson and Mick Bodley are both out after knee operations and Peter Smith is suspended but Julian Dicks and Neil Gregory are both expected to be fit."

And he warned the Clarets fans that it would be a mistake to underestimate them in the way that Port Vale did last season.

"The worst thing they did was put in the programme that Canvey would be coming up to enjoy their day," he said. "In football you only enjoy the day if you win - which we did."

Promotion to the Conference is the main target this season and the Gulls have a crucial Ryman League game against Gravesend and Northfleet on Tuesday night.

But it is only Burnley on their minds today as they look to make the headlines once again.

"People talk about sacrificing cup games to concentrate on the league but that is nonsense," said Pennyfather. "We want to win every game we play and that means tomorrow at Turf Moor.

"We have won 26 out of 27 and if we did not believe we could win it, well there would be no point in turning up. I am really looking forward to seeing Stan again but I hope it is as a winner."

Burnley assistant boss Sam Ellis claimed that Canvey will come with a positive approach but it was by frustrating Wigan with a 4-5-1 formation that they nicked a 1-0 win at the JJB Stadium in the first round.

That is likely to be the tactic again with former West Ham and Liverpool star Julian Dicks a key figure in the rearguard action.

Former West Ham and Liverpool star Julian Dicks, the 33-year-old who will be matched up against Clarets winger Glen Little, admitted: "It means a lot for the lads, and for the supporters, to be in the third round and playing a good side like Burnley, who could be in the Premiership next year.

"We know it's going to be a tough game up there but we have nothing to lose. We are expected to get well beaten but we have already caused two upsets."