PAUL CRICHTON was a happy man after his 17th-clean sheet of the season helped Burnley pick up their first away win since last October at Bournemouth a week ago.

Crichton's debut as a full-time Burnley player following his move from West Brom in November, 1998 coincided with a 5-0 thumping at Dean Court.

So he was more than happy to put the record straight.

"It put a few things to rest because last year wasn't the best experience, my first game letting in five goals.

"But keeping a clean sheet on Saturday helped the cause a lot.

"In the last 10 minutes or so we dropped a bit deep but that was because of the pressure and the boys handled it brilliantly," said the Burnley number one.

The 1-0 win at Bournemouth took Burnley up to fourth before today's big game and gave the players a massive boost, according to wing-back Graham Branch.

"Our away form wasn't the best and the gaffer has had a word with us about that.

"But we managed to go to Bournemouth and beat them and hopefully that's a good omen for the future, that we can go away and start picking up points," he said.

MEANWHILE, Ian Cox's impressive return to former club Bournemouth a week ago earned him a place in Opta's Second Division team of the week. According to Opta, four sturdy tackles and a pass completion rate of 70 per cent made his £500,000 fee look a bargain.

THE Clarets' youth team is in for a busy week.

The regional phase of the Football League's Youth Alliance was supposed to end after today's games, when Burnley were playing Preston.

But a couple of postponements mean that the Clarets face two games in two days before the competition moves onto the second phase next Saturday when the various conferences come together.

On Monday, the Clarets are away to Oldham and then entertain Carlisle on Tuesday.

BURNLEY have used the fewest players in the Second Division so far, with just 22 so far engaged in League action , although Ian Wright was set to make it 23 this afternoon. That compares with the 44 that appeared last season and underlines one of the major reasons behind the Clarets' dramatic improvement.

Millwall have also used 23 players.

IAN WRIGHT'S debut this afternoon meant comfortably the biggest crowd in the Second Division so far this season.

With some 22,000 expected at Turf Moor, Burnley would beat the 16,821 who saw Preston play Blackpool.

THE reserves are at home to Wolves in the Pontins League Premier Division next Wednesday night.

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