OWEN Coyle is desperate to avoid the FA Cup hangover that Arsenal suffered as he seeks his first home win.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said the stern test that Burnley gave them in last weekend's third round showdown affected his team in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg with Tottenham in midweek.

After admitting he was "surprised" by the quality the Clarets showed at Turf Moor, Wenger said: "I feel we were not at our best physically, I feel we had not recovered completely from our Burnley game."

But, although the Clarets go into this afternoon's game with Plymouth Argyle (kick-off 3pm) minus six first team players, Coyle stressed they cannot fall into the same trap.

"It was very nice of (Arsene) to say that they were tired because they had given so much on Sunday, but we have to make sure that we're not.

"We have to make sure we're fresh today and we get to that level of performance," said the Burnley boss, who is without suspended duo Kyle Lafferty and Chris McCann, injured pair Clarke Carlisle and Alan Mahon, plus long-term casualties Besart Berisha and Michael Duff.

"It's a big, big game, and we want to start rewarding the supporters, who were magnificent again on Sunday, with home wins.

"We need to make sure we take that level of performance into that match, and if we do that, it will stand us in good stead.

"There are going to be a number of players missing through injury or suspension but that's nothing new; we've been coping with that and trying to get on with it. What's important is that whoever takes the field gives every ounce of effort, as they did on Sunday, and if they do that we'll be pleased."

While desperate to end the Turf Moor hoodoo, with just two home league wins recorded all season, Coyle is equally keen to make up for the disappointing 3-0 loss in their last Championship outing at Blackpool on New Year's Day.

"When you look back, the only performance that's disappointed me was the one at Blackpool, but to come back and give that level of performance against Arsenal after that was encouraging," he said.

"It's important that we try to hit the standards we've set and if we do that then those home wins are going to come along."

Coyle's selection options have once more been limited through suspensions, as McCann is banned for one game for accumulating five bookings, while Lafferty begins a four-match suspension following his controversial dismissal against Arsenal.

The Northern Ireland international, who had his punishment extended by an extra game because his sending off against Apollon Limassol on the pre-season tour of Austria was also taken into consideration, became the fifth player to be shown a red card this season - the fourth in the last six games.

David Unsworth was the first, against Hull City on November 6, just over a month later both McCann and Joey Gudjonsson were sent off in the same game against Preston North End and John Spicer was added to that list in the following game at Ipswich Town.

But Coyle is adamant not all of them have been warranted.

"Within all the sendings off, it's certainly contentious whether they should have been reds or yellows," he said "People say it's swings and roundabouts but I don't personally believe that because I've not seen enough to suggest that we've had a break or decision that's going our way, so what we need to do is try to make sure we remain intact with 11 men on the park and get to the standards we've set.

"If it comes that we do get the bounce of the ball or a decision that we haven't had so far then all good and well, but we have to make sure that we're concentrating on doing our own job and make sure that even if things aren't going our way, we've still done enough to merit a result by our own level of performance."