THE Second Division relegation scramble threatens to throw up some of its most significant twists and turns so far tonight, writes PETE OLIVER.
And Burnley will be out to make sure they are not the major victims of the likely reshuffle.
All the major players are in opposition with only the Clarets playing a side not under threat from the drop in the shape of Wrexham.
The other eight clubs in the bottom nine, all separated by just seven points after Southend's win on Saturday, play each other which promises a new-look league table in the morning.
Burnley could find themselves as high as 17th or joint bottom of the table which emphasises the importance of the game against Brian Flynn's side.
A 1-1 draw with Brentford on Saturday could be seen as a missed opportunity.
But the Clarets still have the chance to do themselves a massive favour by rediscovering the style which had earned them seven straight wins at Turf Moor before Micky Adams' kill-joys arrived.
Glen Little, for one, certainly believes that Burnley can get the show back on the road despite Saturday's setback, when he salvaged a point for the Clarets with his first goal in League football.
He said: "We knew when we played Southend and York it was vital to get six points. We got them and with two home games against Brentford and Wrexham we were hoping for six again.
"But having said that if we get four from the two games it won't be too bad. I think the supporters would probably look at Brentford as being the easier game but it doesn't always work out like that. "We know what we have got to do. The games are coming thick and fast and hopefully we can get a good win tonight to take us on to Saturday."
Burnley face another 'six pointer' against Carlisle at Brunton Park on Saturday and there's no doubt that Chris Waddle's men are in a critical phase of their season.
As well as their fight to get away from trouble in the league, they also face a two-legged northern final against Grimsby Town in the Auto Windscreens Shield which all adds up to a pretty heavy workload.
Little added: "With all the big games that we have had over the past couple of weeks I don't know if it has taken a bit of edge off the players. But it's no use complaining, we have just got to get on with it.
"We've got Blackpool in our next midweek league game and then a couple of big legs against Grimsby Town so we have got to try and keep it going and see what happens."
Wrexham go into tonight's game with injury and suspension problems. Ironically two players, Martyn Chalk and Dean Sink, are banned after being sent off in the reserves at Burnley in the Pontins League Cup a fortnight ago.
Former Burnley favourite Flynn has moved to bolster his squad with the loan signing of Manchester United midfielder Mark Wilson, a 19-year-old former England schoolboy international who is expected to make his Robins debut.
Wrexham look short of goals without leading marksman Carl Connolly and an unbeaten run of three games came to an end at Chesterfield on Saturday to leave them six points off a play-off spot.
Burnley must hope that goalkeeper Mark Cartwright, deputising for broken thumb victim Andy Marriott, doesn't enjoy his latest trip to Turf Moor. Playing in the recent reserves game, he produced an inspired performance to keep a clean sheet and take nine-man Wrexham into the quarter-finals of the cup.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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