Cowan on a double mission

And the Clarets should get first bite at the cherry if they want to keep Cowan on a permanent basis.

The former Sheffield United left-back, who made an impressive debut in the Clarets 1-0 derby defeat by Preston yesterday, has joined Burnley from Huddersfield Town until the end of the season.

He then becomes a free agent and admitted that a move to the Clarets would be a great one - provided they win their relegation fight and stay in Division Two.

Cowan said: "I've had a few feelers out because he (Huddersfield manager Peter Jackson) told me I could go on a Bosman at the end of the season.

"That's still the case. Obviously if I do well for Burnley and help them stay up then the chance might be there for me to sign for them.

"If that doesn't happen with Burnley then it gives the opportunity for people to come and watch me and I am playing first-team football again, which I thank Burnley for.

"There's always that mystique about Burnley about it being a big club and it would be a great move. But it wouldn't be a great move if you were in the Third Division.

"It would be very difficult. But it is a big club and they need to get out of this situation and that's how I can hopefully help the cause.

"Me and Paul Cook have come in and if Stan Ternent wants me then fair enough.

"I need games and Burnley have given me the opportunity by taking over my contract from Huddersfield.

"I thank them for that and hopefully I can repay them in some way by keeping them up."

Cowan and loan signing Cook both made significant contributions to a vastly improved Burnley performance as Ternent's men bounced back from their recent maulings by Gillingham and Manchester City. But a clinical finish by former Burnley striker Kurt Nogan proved the difference between the Lancashire rivals as a fourth successive defeat left Burnley in the bottom four.

Cowan thought the result was rough justice but saw enough in Burnley's performance to believe that the last 11 games will yield the points they need to beat the drop.

He added: "I knew it was going to be tough because you are coming into a team that has just lost five and six.

"Obviously you need to try and steady the ship. I felt we could have done that and to be honest I thought it was heading for a draw.

"We kept hitting the bar and that and I thought 'this isn't going to come'.

"They didn't look like they were going to score, I've never seen anything like it. And then out of the blue a little piece of magic. I must admit it was a very good finish and that's what teams are like up there.

"They get one chance and score from it and that's the difference. You need a little bit of the rub of the green and we didn't get it.

"All you can do is keep giving the same effort and commitment. I think the fans are a little bit happier because there were ructions after the Man City game.

"We got applauded off because they knew we had given everything and they knew we were the better team."

Burnley boss Ternent was equally disappointed with the outcome of the televised clash but insisted that his side won't go down.

"The players don't want to be relegated any more than I do and we won't be," he said.

"Obviously we are disappointed because I thought we played pretty well but at the moment we just aren't getting the breaks.

"But if they keep going like that I'm sure we'll be all right.

"The supporters expect that sort of endeavour and commitment and so do I.

"So yesterday was a vast improvement on the last two games and I'm sure if we keep believing and battling away like that then things will change for us."

A mistake by Steve Davis allowed Nogan the chance to sink his former club with an exquisite goal, while Burnley, without a second central striker, twice hit the woodwork.

"The pleasing thing was the lads' application and I was delighted with that. And if they give me that every game then I have no complaints," Ternent added.

"If you keep doing that it will turn for you. There was a blatant penalty which the referee didn't see when Gregan hit Andy Payton in the first half, just blocking him as he went in on goal.

"Andy hit the inside of the post and it came out and Glen hit the underside of the bar and it came out and you can go on and on but we are creating chances and sooner than later they will go in.

"Preston are going for an automatic promotion slot and we are battling against relegation. That's how tight the league is so you need a little break here and there and unfortunately we didn't get that."

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