Division Two: Preston North End v Burnley

FOR Burnley fans, it will be nice to go to Deepdale tomorrow with the boot firmly on the other foot.

While the Clarets fought a desperate relegation dogfight last season, Preston were riding high around the promotion places and qualified for the play-offs where Gillingham finally killed off their First Division aspirations.

It's still early days this time around but Preston are the ones currently struggling for form, while Burnley are joint top of the table, having built on the run that started after North End completed their third win of the season over the Clarets at Turf Moor in March.

And, after kicking off with four wins and a draw in their opening six games, striker Andy Payton believes Burnley are capable of building on the solid foundations they have created.

"We've got a lot more experience this season, everyone's pushing for places and there's a genuine belief that we can do something," said Payton, whose flurry of goals at the end of last season and the three he's bagged already this term have helped propel the Clarets up the table.

The transformation that's taken place at Turf Moor within the past 12 months is clearly illustrated by the fact that Payton and Gordon Armstrong are likely to be the only survivors in tomorrow's starting line-up from the side that was humiliated at Deepdale last November.

"I'm looking forward to it because we've had a decent start and we're going there with a lot better side, on paper, than last year," Payton added. "A lot of people don't realise we are a relatively new team and we're just starting to click. I think we'll go there and give them a good game.

"Obviously it's going to be hard . But we lost at Bristol Rovers in our last away game so we are looking to go Preston and put up a good showing."

Preston will see tomorrow's derby as the perfect opportunity to kick-start their own season into life after back-to-back home defeats have left them in 11th place in the table.

And manager David Moyes has asked his players to prove that last season's promotion challenge wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan.

However, Preston, missing suspended skipper Sean Gregan, will run into a Clarets side that is looking strong in all departments and, according to Payton, just starting to build up a head of steam.

He said: "A lot of people complained because we didn't play well against Chesterfield.

"But we won that game and they went to Preston and won last Saturday and they're doing all right.

"It takes time to click and I think last Friday was one of the best performances we've had as a team.

"We got Glen (Little) back in the side, who always gives us that bit extra going forward, so I'm optimistic."

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