Barclays Premier League

Burnley v Stoke City

Turf Moor 10/03/10

Kick-off: 7.45pm

OVERVIEW

Burnley boss Brian Laws has been keen to stress this is not a make-or-break fixture with another nine games to go after tonight.

But with four out of the next five games at Turf Moor, Stoke's visit does represent the start of a crucial run of matches will do much to decide the Clarets' destiny.

Stoke arrive on the back of an FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Chelsea but their league form since the turn of the year has been highly impressive and lifted them into the sanctuary of mid-table.

Tony Pulis's no-nonsense side has surely done enough to secure another season of top-flight football and the Clarets are desperate to join them.

A win tonight will lift Burnley out of the relegation places and totally transform the outlook of the Clarets' campaign.

That's a massive incentive and despite the bare statistics of just one win in 17 games, the Clarets still look capable of getting the victory they need if they can counter Stoke's expected aerial bombardment.

Laws' side has failed to score in only one of their last six games, giving them the kind of firepower needed to stay up.

Thomas Sorensen

ONE TO WATCH

Stoke's long throw specialist Rory Delap attracts much of the attention but there will also be an interesting match-up in goal tonight as Thomas Sorensen and Brian Jensen go head to head.

Sorensen has long been established as the Danish number-one and will be heading for the World Cup finals this summer, while, puzzlingly, Jensen can not force his way into Morten Olsen's squad.

The Stoke keeper, 33, has wracked up plenty of top-flight experience with Aston Villa and Sunderland and has held off the challenge of Asmir Begovic since he signed from Portsmouth in January.

Rory Delap prepares to launch another missile

STAT OF THE DAY

The world record distance for a throw-in is currently reported to be 49.78metres, achieved by a West Yorkshire PE teacher. Stoke's Rory Delap can apparently throw up to 40metres.

LAST MEETING

15/08/09 Stoke City 2 (Shawcross, Jordan og), Burnley 0

Burnley: Jensen, Kalvenes, Carlisle, Jordan, Mears, Alexander (Thompson 82), Blake (Eagles 72), McCann, Elliott, Paterson (Guerrero 72), Fletcher.
Subs: Penny, McDonald, Gudjonsson, Eckersley

Booked: Alexander 57, Jordan 66

Stoke: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington (Whelan 76), Beattie (Kitson 67), Fuller (Cresswell 87)
Subs: Simonsen, Griffin, Cort, Pugh

FORM GUIDE (last ten league games)

Burnley: DLLLLWLLLL

Stoke: LLWDDWDDWL

David Nugent scores at Arsenal

TEAM NEWS

Burnley: The Clarets will wait until the last minute to see whether top scorer Steven Fletcher is fit to play following his hand injury. Chris McCann and Steven Caldwell remain sidelined.

Stoke City: Central defender Ryan Shawcross is banned and winger Matthew Etherington is expected to be missing with a knee injury.

The Potters also have injury doubts over Glenn Whelan, Danny Higginbotham, James Beattie and Salif Diao.

Referee: Howard Webb

LAST TIME OUT

Arsenal 3, Burnley 1 (Nugent)

Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Cort, Fox, Alexander (Bikey 66), Eagles, Cork, McDonald (Elliott 54), Paterson (Thompson 74), Nugent. Subs: Duff, Blake, Jordan, Weaver.

Chelsea 2, Stoke City 0 (FA Cup)

Stoke: Sorensen, Huth, Collins, Faye, Wilkinson, Whelan (Pugh 45), Whitehead, Sanli (Lawrence 60), Delap, Fuller, Sidibe (Kitson 60). Subs: Simonsen, Davies, Amdy Faye, Moult.

Tony Pulis and Peter Reid are driving Stoke on

THEY SAID

Brian Laws: "We are not relying on anyone else's results. If we get the right result against Stoke we move out of the bottom three - fact. So we know the importance of the win"

Tony Pulis: "Their home games will be like cup finals, just as they were for us here at the Britannia Stadium last season when we needed the points to climb to safety."

Barclays Premier League