"I'M SCUNTHORPE till I die," may not evoke the sunniest picture in the mind's eye, but those visiting supporters housed in the Cricket Field Stand belted out the chant with all the pride and gusto their team had displayed in plundering three points at Burnley's expense on Sunday.

Aside from the opening 20 minutes when the Clarets looked as though they would hammer the Iron, Burnley's display was distinctly below par. That the game was broadcast live on Sky only intensified the ignominy.

So, has the bubble burst? Certainly, taking only one point from two home fixtures (whilst conceding four goals in the process) is no recipe for promotion. Yet, surely it would be folly to panic just yet.

The Claret are, after all, still fifth in the table. And, with the exception of the last two games, the defence has an impressive record.

In the fullness of time, the recent wake-up calls may come to be viewed as blessings in disguise.

For instance, now is the ideal time for Ternent to use the advantage we hold over other Division Two rivals - namely our squad. Much has been made of the fact that we possess genuine strength in depth. So let's exploit it. One main concern is that if Andy Payton isn't scoring, then neither are Burnley. The number 10 has netted eight of the Clarets' 13 goals this season. Graham Branch, although contributing well in many ways, does not appear to have the goal scoring touch. Part of the burden of responsibility on the Padiham Predator's shoulders could be lifted by the re-introduction of Andy Cooke, who will find the net more regularly than Branch.

In central midfield, the frankly anonymous Mickey Mellon could be replaced for the more probing and adventurous John Mullin. Indeed, his runs into the box from deep may well yield a goal or two.

Paul Smith has performed well at left back thus far, but looked out of sorts on Sunday. Fans' favourite Tom Cowan is unlikely to let anybody down in Smith's place, and Smith himself may benefit from the rest.

Ternent may have considered all or none of the options. But surely one of the benefits of a squad is to guard against loss of form. Which is exactly what seems to be happening to the team at the moment.

Finally, welcome back to Paul Weller. As has been well documented, the lad has been through a lot recently. Let's hope his luck has changed for the better and he can help get us back on course for Division One.

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