WHILE the much-vaunted striking partnerships are ready to grab the glory at Turf Moor tomorrow, Burnley and Bristol Rovers each have another string to their bow which has underlined their promotion credentials.

Andy Payton and Andy Cooke and the Rovers pairing of Jamie Cureton and Jason Roberts have bagged 62 goals between them this season to rightly earn the plaudits that have come their way.

But behind them are defences which have laid the foundations for success with both sides conceding comfortably less than a goal a game.

Second Division leaders Rovers have let in just 22 goals in 28 games, despite a bizarre 5-4 defeat Colchester last month.

So it's now wonder that manager Ian Holloway, who switched to a five-man rearguard seven games from the end of last season and hasn't looked back since, is ready to share the praise. He said: "The strikers get all the headlines because they get the goals. But it's a two-pronged thing.

"We scored a lot of goals last season but we were letting too many in. This year we have kept it a lot tighter at the back. That's the platform we have built on."

Meanwhile, the Clarets have conceded 24 in a game fewer and in 13 home fixtures Paul Crichton has been beaten just nine times.

"The lads have set their standards really, especially at home, so we've got to keep doing it," said skipper Gordon Armstrong, who has played a big part in Burnley's defensive improvement after they leaked a disastrous 74 goals last season.

Clean sheets haven't been so prevalent lately and manager Stan Ternent feels there is still scope for improvement.

But keeping Roberts and Cureton quiet will give Burnley every chance of undermining Rovers' position at the top of the table and Armstrong is relishing the challenge.

"I think maybe a lot of people expected them to fall away but the two front lads are scoring a lot of goals and doing really well for them.

"They are good players and there's a lot of people maybe looking at the pair of them I would think, because they are both sharp and get goals, especially the boy Roberts. It's one you look forward to," he added.

Burnley have won their last seven home games and an eighth would be the perfect start to a run of fixtures which includes the visits of Wigan and Preston and which could propel Burnley towards the top two.

"That's where we've got to look," insisted Armstrong. "We've got all these top teams to come this month and if you can take points off them you are obviously going to be right in there.

"You shouldn't be looking anywhere else and that's where we are looking to get.

"It's a massive game. It's obviously a tough challenge because they are flying high but we are doing alright ourselves.

"Our away form has been a little bit disappointing but our home form has been brilliant. With these three massive games, they are ones you've got to win."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.