Clarets big match preview

FASTEN your seat belts, it's time for lift-off.

And Bolton boss Sam Allardyce believes it will be an explosive start to the new season at the Reebok Stadium tomorrow.

Burnley launch their First Division return after a six-year exile at their near neighbours and no quarter will be asked or given as both sides look to make the perfect start.

"With it being a local derby it's a very tasty start. It's straight into the fray," said Allardyce.

"With us just failing in the play-offs and Burnley gaining promotion it has the look of a very exciting game for everybody.

"With a big crowd, a derby atmosphere and with it being the first game of the season I think it will be very frantic and very physical.

"Whoever gets the ball in their opponents' box the most or capitalises on somebody else's mistakes I think overall will be the key factor.

"There won't be too much pretty football in the first hour and it won't be a place for the faint-hearted."

Passion, commitment and eye for the half-chance may therefore be crucial to who takes the opening day honours.

But over the course of the season, Allardyce believes the key to success will be a bit more precise.

He added: "You've got to get enough goals. You can get them fit and organised but the bottom line is that the front players must take their chances, which are fewer and further between than in the Second Division."

Step forward Andy Payton, Phil Gray and Andy Cooke, with a bit of expertise from the Clarets' management team who have consistently shown they know what it takes to produce a winning formula.

"Stan and Sam are past masters at knowing how difficult it can be when you go into a new division.

"They managed to hold Bury up for a season and they will have more resources at Burnley than they had at Bury," said Allardyce, who was linked with the Turf Moor post before Ternent was named as Chris Waddle's successor two years ago. Instead 'Big Sam' returned to Bolton, where he played over 200 games as a no-nonsense central defender, last October and led Wanderers to both cup semi-finals and the First Division play-offs on the back of a storming end to the season.

Bolton lost out to eventual play-off winners Ipswich Town in controversial circumstances but promotion will be the target again this year, even though Allardyce was forced to sell Eidur Gudjohnsen and Clause Jensen for a combined fee of £8 million during the summer.

That illustrates the gap between Bolton and the likes of big-spending Blackburn and Fulham but Allardyce is ready to give it his best shot.

He said: "It's only two seasons ago that we were in the Premiership. The club needs to be there with the stadium and the facilities.

"Having to sell makes it that bit more difficult but we must try our best.

"It's the guys with the money who'll be near the top. They have big enough squads to cope and one or two of the clubs that came down from the Premiership had been there for a long time.

"I think Wimbledon will be very, very strong and I think Watford are a better side than when they went up.

"Birmingham, Fulham and Blackburn are able to put all their money into players and they've got big enough squads.

"I want to make sure that I can try and build a squad to sustain a challenge."

Allardyce is optimistic, provided he can bring in some more new faces and have a change of luck on the injury and suspension front.

Bolton have been dogged in the run-up to the clash with Burnley, but the boss is nevertheless looking for three points.

He added: "It's very unfortunate that we are going into the game without eight players who would have been involved.

"But at the end of the day there's very little you can do about it once you've sustained those injuries and suspensions. You've just got to hope you can get by and the rest of the squad will do the business for us."

Bolton defender Robbie Elliott, who would have been suspended for tomorrow's game, has been ruled out for five weeks after a recurrence of a groin injury against Chester in midweek.