STAN Ternent is determined to get Burnley back into the play-off zone by making a victorious return to Second Division duty against Cardiff City tomorrow.

The Clarets can't afford to rest on their laurels after dumping Derby County out of the FA Cup last week and need to beat City at Turf Moor to stay with the pace at the top of the table.

"The league has always been our priority. Derby was a great day and the players played particularly well and we've got a draw against another Premiership side but we've put that to bed until it comes round," insisted Ternent.

"It's a very important match against Cardiff. While we were playing in the Cup we finished up out of the top half-dozen and we would like to get back up there so tomorrow's game is of mega-importance to us."

Despite the high-profile result at Pride Park, Burnley's Cup triumph wasn't a flash-in-the-pan, and Ternent has stressed the need to keep the Clarets' run going as they try to close a five-point gap on leaders Wigan and Preston.

The boss added: "The level of performances, apart from perhaps Reading, have been good so it's important we maintain the standards we have set ourselves and that's up to the players.

"I'm constantly on their case about that but I've every confidence in them and there's no reason that if we play to our full capabilities we won't get the result that we want.

"It's a fact that since the back end of last season and into this season, excluding cup matches, I think we have only lost three matches in over 30 games. You would expect them to gain confidence from that.

"It's up to the lads. They're good enough and if they're up for it then it would be a challenge for any team to overcome us."

Burnley have won eight of their 10 league games at Turf Moor this season and should be fancied to extend that record tomorrow. However, Cardiff will take great heart going into their important holiday games against Reading and Cambridge if they can dent those figures.

And Ternent is aware that Frank Burrows' side won't go down without a fight.

He added: "It's a fantastic stadium. Burnley, at the level we're playing at, is a big club and it's one you would look forward to coming and playing at so all of those things we have to overcome if we want to be successful.

"If somebody went away from here they would see it as a good result and the challenge is to overcome that.

"Often after matches I've said that the players showed admirable patience and discipline and kept plugging away because we have no divine right. We have to earn the right to win football matches."

Burnley are set to be unchanged for the fifth league game in a row before Paul Cook serves his one-match ban at Bury on Boxing Day.

However, 19th-placed Cardiff are forced into a couple of defensive changes following Tony Vaughan's return to Manchester City after a loan spell and a ban for Russell Perrett.

Skipper Mike Ford will return and recent signing Jorn Schwinkendors, a £110,00 buy from German club Mannheim, will make his League debut.

Burnley from: Crichton, West, Armstrong, Mellon, Davis, Thomas, Little, Cook, Cooke, Payton, Mullin, Jepson, Johnrose, Branch, Brass, Weller, Robertson, Cowan.

Cardiff from: Hallworth, Faerber, Legg, Eckhardt, Ford, Schwinkendors, Brazier, Carpenter, Bonner, Bowen, Humphreys, Hill, Fowler, Lowe, Roberts, Boland, Kelly (gk).

The youth team's scheduled Youth Alliance clash with Preston has been postponed because of North End's involvement in the FA Youth Cup.

Ray Ingleby and John Turkington were formally voted onto the Clarets' board at the club's AGM last night.

The pair were brought onto the board earlier this year and their positions were last night approved by the shareholders.

Former chairman Frank Teasdale, who had to stand down as a director through rotation, was re-elected to the board with just one objection from the floor and after being seconded by new vice-chairman Ingleby.

The club's accounts, which showed a loss of £1.8 million were approved, and the formal business was wrapped up inside 25 minutes at one of the most harmonious meetings on recent record.

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