STAN Ternent today paid tribute to unsung hero Andy Cooke as the Clarets bid to extend Bournemouth's win drought at Turf Moor tomorrow.

Cooke's return from an appendix operation has been largely overshadowed by Andy Payton's Midas touch in front of goal.

But Cooke's contribution, particularly at Blackpool on Tuesday night after his comeback a week ago, has been just as important to the Clarets climb up the table.

And Ternent confirmed his value to the Burnley cause.

"He worked his socks off. Just because Andy Payton's getting the goals doesn't make him any more valuable to the exercise than Cookie.

"And I think Andy would be the first to recognise that," said the Burnley boss.

Questions were raised when Ternent didn't recruit a striker when Cooke went in for his operation at the beginning of March and Ronnie Jepson and Kevin Henderson were also on the injured list.

But the Clarets chalked up a couple of wins in Cooke's absence and Ternent's decision to wait for the player's return is now paying dividends.

Cooke attracts a lot of attention and his fair share of punishment from defenders which has allowed his partnership with Payton to bear fruit.

"That's what we are working on and Cookie makes a lot of holes for Andy to exploit," added Ternent.

The Burnley manager is keeping his fingers crossed that his strike pairing will be able to continue when the Clarets seek to put more daylight between themselves and the bottom of the table against a Bournemouth side that has never collected maximum points at Turf Moor. Payton didn't finish the 2-0 win at Blackpool, when he scored his fifth goal in five games and 22nd for the season, because of a thigh strain.

But the striker will be champing at the bit to prove his fitness and more worrying may be the ankle injury Tom Cowan sustained at Bloomfield Road.

Ternent will make a late check on the left-back and midfield man Lenny Johnrose, who gashed a shin in the mid-week victory which lifted Burnley to 16th place in the table and five points above the relegation frame.

Definitely missing through suspension is Glen Little as Burnley look to inch nearer safety and avenge a 5-0 hammering at Bournemouth in November.

"If we get another couple of wins this term I will be happy because it's been a difficult season and I need to get through it," added Ternent.

"I think it will be very tough and very tight and we owe them one from the game at Bournemouth.

"If they are not still smarting from that there's something wrong and we need to repay a debt."

Bournemouth boss Mel Machin has also called on his side to conjur up two more victories to guarantee a play-off place after a run of three defeats in four games has seen the Cherries slip to sixth place.

"We will need a miracle to win automatic promotion. We have got to win our last five games and hope that others slip up," admitted Machin after a 1-0 home defeat by promotion rivals Walsall on Tuesday night. Bournemouth will be without wide midfielder John O'Neill who damaged ankle ligaments in that game.

His replacement is likely to be Willie Huck, a recent £50,000 signing from Arsenal.

Young striker Steve Lovell impressed when coming on against the Saddlers but it would be a major surprise if Machin breaks up the Brian Stein-Steve Fletcher partnership that has produced 22 League goals.

Burnley from: Crichton, Pickering, Cowan, Mellon, Davis, Brass, Cook, Armstrong, Cooke, Payton, Johnrose, Branch, Jepson, Reid, Morgan, Eastwood.

Bournemouth from: Ovendale, Young, Warren, Howe, Hayter, Huck, Cox, Robinson, Stein, Fletcher, Hughes, Lovell, Rawlinson, Griffin.

Burnley's 'A' team have no fixture tomorrow, while the under-18 side are away to Wigan Athletic in merit Division Three of the Youth Alliance League.

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