COCK-A-HOOP Clarets boss Stan Ternent has made a move to keep Paul Cook at Turf Moor to the end of the season at least to see Burnley's escape bid through to its conclusion.

Cook has one game left in his first month's loan from Stockport County but Ternent confirmed after Burnley's thrilling 3-1 victory over Colchester United yesterday that he is looking to retain the midfielder's services.

"We've got Paul Cook on loan and I would like to keep him. I've spoken to Gary Megson about it and I would like him to stay," revealed the Burnley boss.

"He would like to stay but whether or not Stockport will allow it we'll wait and see."

The arrival of Cook and Tom Cowan has coincided with a run of one defeat in five games for Burnley which has lifted them out of the bottom four.

And yesterday's second successive home win, sealed by a late brace from top-scorer Andy Payton, has given them a five-point cushion above the relegation zone.

Cook, Stockport's record signing at £250,000 from Tranmere Rovers in October 1997, has been a calming influence in midfield and his vision and passing has added an extra dimension to the Clarets. And with Stockport having seemingly secured their First Division safety, Megson may well allow Cook to stay on at Turf Moor which would be a major tonic in Burnley's bid to secure the three more wins they may need to stay up.

Cook is eligible to play at Oldham on Saturday regardless of what sort of deal Ternent is able to trash out.

And the Burnley manager is also optimistic that central defender Chris Brass will be fit to play after a head injury he sustained yesterday forced him into hospital.

"Chris got a wallop and we sent him up to the hospital.

"The doctor's not worried but it's more of a precaution as he got a bit of double vision and had to come off at half-time as he wasn't quite with it.

"Chris has been doing particularly well and I'm sure he will be fit for Saturday," said Ternent.

Burnley had to come from behind to secure the points that lifted them to 17th-place in the table but the number of chances they created in an exciting attacking performance always suggested that goals were on the cards.

"They keep making me sweat. It was a shot and a goal out of the blue and we found ourselves 1-0 down.

"But they played particularly well, they passed the ball well and they showed great patience, great resilience and eventually got the goals I thought we thoroughly deserved," added Ternent, whose side cashed in on the dismissal of Colchester striker Lomana Tresor Lua Lua three minutes before Lenny Johnrose's equaliser. "We'll never know (what bearing it had). The lad was sent off and often against 10 men it's difficult but the players didn't throw caution to the wind.

"They kept their shape, they kept the balance and I made a couple of changes in personnel and tactically and at the end of the day we deservedly won the game.

"But it's down to the players and all credit to them, they deserved it. "It's been a smashing weekend. It was important that we won after the result on Saturday and we are looking forward to going to Oldham.

"But one swallow or two swallows don't make a summer and we still need three wins so it's all hands to the pumps. We have to get to that 50-point mark and passed it and then we see how we go from there."

Ternent's recent signings are now coming good and Johnrose capped a powerful performance with his first goal for the club to set up Payton's big finish.

"The goal came at the right time. I was happy to get off the mark and obviously happy to get a win," said Johnrose. "We just kept plugging away and got the right result in the end.

"The gaffer put on Ronnie Jepson late on - and he did very well for the second goal - because we had to win it. Everyone knows we had to win it and we did that."

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