IN THE corresponding game a year ago, 11 fixtures from the end of Burnley's season, Andy Payton broke a mini-drought to earn the Clarets a point against Luton Town.

In the next seven League games, Payton scored five goals which coincided with four wins against teams that were to finish the season with either automatic promotion or a play-off place.

How Burnley would love that scenario to be repeated at Wrexham tomorrow when a Payton goal would end an eight-and-a-half match barren spell for the Clarets 17-goal leading scorer.

"We are absolutely desperate for points. We have dropped into the bottom four as everybody knows.

"It's a bit deja vu, a bit like last season," admitted Payton, who played a massive part in rescuing the Clarets a year ago and needs to do the same now.

It's a big, possibly unfair responsibility to place on the 31-year-old's shoulders - particularly as goalscorers are so reliant on their team-mates.

And recently Payton has not been given the bullets to fire.

"There is an onus on me to get goals for the team and that's what I'm paid to do so hopefully I'll get a few chances to do that, that's the main thing," he said.

"Chances have been few and far between. I've not really had a good chance, I don't think.

"But it has been one of my longest spells. I am disappointed about that but the main thing is to get some chances and stick them away and then be judged." Payton's partnership with Andy Cooke, allied to the wizadry of Glen Little, belatedly proved a winning formula for Chris Waddle as Burnley escaped relegation on the final day of last season.

The trio claimed 19 of the last 21 goals Burnley scored under Waddle's leadership.

Sadly for Payton and Stan Ternent, Little is only two-and-a-half games into a comeback after being unable to start nine of the last 14 games.

And Cooke is in the gym as he eases his way back from an appendix operation that has forced him out of two of the last four matches in which Burnley have failed to score.

Add to that the absence of Ronnie Jepson, Peter Swan and Kevin Henderson and the Clarets strking problems are brought sharply into focus.

"Swanny could have played up front as well as Ronnie and Cookie. It's been a horrendous injury situation as well but we have got to try and put all that behind us and get some points," added Payton, who knows that sympathy doesn't go far at this crucial stage of the season, last Sunday's single-goal defeat by Preston being a case in point. "We should have won the game and I think everybody thought we were a bit unlucky. But at the end of the day it's about points now," he admitted.

But the Clarets also need to continue the defensive improvement they showed against Preston and cut out the kind of individual errors that cost them at least a point against their derby rivals.

"We have got to start keeping clean sheets as well. We all know that and then we have always got a chance.

"We have already beaten them once and so hopefully we can go there and get something," added Payton, whose two goals gave Burnley a 2-1 win over the Welshmen at the end of October.

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