TONY Parks was looking to produce another polished performance at Halifax Town today in his bid to start the season as Burnley's number one.

Parks is the only senior goalkeeper at Turf Moor and as such is in pole position to line up against Bristol Rovers on August 8.

However, manager Stan Ternent is searching for another keeper to provide competition which means Parks is still facing a fight to make a Football League debut for the Clarets. "The only thing I can try and do is impress the manager. He picks the team and at the moment I am in it.

"Nobody is guaranteed a first-team place. But he said when he took over that if I impressed enough I would be in the team.

"I understand that he has got one goalkeeper who you could call a veteran and another who is just starting out in his professional career so he might feel he needs another goalkeeper at the club.

"If that's the case then I will just have to take my chances," said Parks who was set to start Burnley's first game against League opposition under Ternent at the Shay this afternoon.

Parks arrived at Burnley last summer after a season with Blackpool where he was number two to ever-present Steve Banks.

He didn't get past the reserves but played a big part in helping Burnley win the Pontins League Second Division title.

And in many respects he has earned his chance to start the season in the first team.

"I was a bit disappointed that I didn't play when Marlon Beresford left.

"But I was on loan (at Doncaster Rovers) and to be fair to Chris Woods he did well when he got in the team. It's the unfortunate thing for goalkeepers that they can only play in one position.

"But the manager has been very honest with me and if I can impress him and he feels confident that he can pick a team with me in it then I will be in. "The manager wants players at the club fighting for places and if a keeper comes in who's better than me and deserves to be in the first team then I will be the first to congratulate him.

"But by the same token if the manager plays me and I do the business then I will be in," added Parks.

The 35-year-old former Tottenham keeper, going into his 19th season as a professional, turned down a move to Wycombe Wanderers this summer to stay with Burnley and that faith may soon be justified.

"I had a year at Blackpool and didn't really enjoy it but I came to Burnley and they are a great bunch of lads," he said.

"I am quite happy here and the family likes the north of England. This is a big club and if the new manager does what he wants we will be heading in the right direction. Any player worth his salt wants to play for a successful club."

Parks played the bulk of the two games during Burnley's trip to the south west and kept two clean sheets.

The second of the two was particularly impressive as he made a handful of top-class saves in a 4-0 win at Elmore FC.

That was important to him to state his case to Ternent and some of the Burnley supporters who had not previously seen him play.

But Parks stressed that he would sooner have a quietly efficient day to reflect a solid team performance.

"I would rather Andy Payton and Andy Cooke were banging them in and getting a pat on the back," he said prior to heading for Burnley's biggest pre-season test to date.

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