MITCHELL Thomas has won his first piece of silverware as a Burnley player.

The Clarets defender has been named the Second Division player-of-the-month by Match magazine - an award that assistant boss Sam Ellis feels is fully justified.

"I think the management and the players think it's well deserved because they've all appreciated how well he's played while he's been here and what a good influence he has been," said Ellis.

Thomas has been a revelation since his summer move from Luton Town, living up to the expectations of the Burnley staff and surpassing those of observers who were initially sceptical about the move.

The former Spurs and West Ham defender, who was 35 last Saturday and who will receive his trophy an hour before Sunday's televised clash with Scunthorpe United at Turf Moor, has galvanised a defence that has conceded just six goals in 10 League games.

And during September, when Thomas earned the highest average performance marks in the division, the Clarets let in only one goal in winning twice and drawing twice.

At the other end of the scale, Burnley last night took a look at 18-year-old Tranmere Rovers midfielder Ian Joy.

The American-born former Tranmere trainee played for an hour of the Clarets' 0-0 draw at Birmingham City in the Pontins League Premier Division and has also spent a couple of days training with the club.

While his future is up in the air, John Mullin and Andy Cooke both stepped up their bids for full match-fitness and first-team selection following injury with 90-minute appearances last night. But Chris Brass, who has been on the bench for League duty for the past couple of games, picked up a knock at St Andrew's and was due to sit out training and undergo treatment today.

"How serious it is we don't know yet but it doesn't look anything too bad," said Ellis.

If Brass is ruled out of Sunday's game against Scunthorpe then Tom Cowan, who recently became a father for the second time, could come back into the 16.

Burnley have sold almost 1,000 £1 tickets for under-16s to watch Sunday's game against Scunthorpe. The offer closes at 5pm on Saturday.

Former Clarets defender Gerry Harrison has joined Hull City on loan for a second time.

Harrison, who left Turf Moor to join Sunderland in the summer of 1998, played eight games on loan with the Tigers last season as well as having a temporary spell with Luton Town.

The 27-year-old has no future with Sunderland and has linked up again with another ex-Claret in Warren Joyce, in his second season in charge at Boothferry Park.

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