AFTER just two games of a new campaign it's premature to be talking of a make-or-break fixture.

And tomorrow's first Turf Moor date of the season isn't that.

But the visit of Chesterfield is massively important for Burnley after their mid-week cup disaster at Manchester City.

Burnley can ill afford another major set-back at this stage as they bid to build on the successful end to last season.

Defeat would spell a poor start to what ought to be a promotion-challenging campaign, allied to an impending Worthington Cup exit.

On the other hand, a morale-boosting victory would result in four points from two games in the Second Division, along with what could be seen as a disappointing but not entirely unexpected cup knockout to a classy First Division side. It's therefore easy to see why even manager Stan Ternent is publicly admitting that tomorrow's game is not just your run-of-the-mill league encounter.

"Saturday will be a big day for us," he confessed after his side had subsided to a 5-0 defeat at Maine Road.

But Ternent has enough faith in his players to suggest that they can recover.

"It will be a big test for us and I'm sure the lads will be up for it then.

"We will be all right. We've got to take this on the chin and how we react to it is of the utmost importance," he added.

Ternent made the point that City's last hammering of Burnley in March had been the catalyst for a run of one defeat in 13 games.

He will be looking for a similar response tomorrow and, if that happens, then everything in the garden will once again be rosy. And, as crushing as Wednesday night's defeat was - with the manner of the reverse as disappointing as the scoreline - it shouldn't be forgotten that this bunch of players, with a number of apparently impressive additions, has proved itself the equal of anything else in their division over what amounts to a quarter of a season.

It shouldn't be all doom and gloom - provided the Clarets win or at the very least play with some conviction and intent for the full 90 minutes against a Chesterfield side that is likely to be resolute but unspectacular.

Burnley must therefore produce some flair in attack and tighten up dramatically at the back.

On-song City may punish a few sides at Maine Road this season, but Ternent admitted that he hadn't expected his side to come unstuck in such fashion.

"No, not on the back of what's happened," he admitted.

"Perhaps instead of Wycombe and 'W' teams being a bogey team perhaps Man City are.

"But three of the goals were self-inflicted and that's unacceptable. So we'll see what happens on Saturday."

Changes may therefore be on the cards, although the team needs a period of stability.

It looks as though home and away line-ups may differ this season anyway.

But from a personal point of view I would like to see the Clarets line-up 4-4-2 tomorrow with two wingers, a ball-winner and a ball-player in the middle of the park to supplement an established front two of Andy Payton and Andy Cooke, if fit.

If he isn't, Alan Lee will provide a more than adequate deputy.

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