GRAHAM Branch reckons rock-bottom Burnley are heading down unless they toughen up.

Skipper Branch was distraught after bogey side Wigan became the third side this season to take maximum points off the Clarets in Saturday's 2-0 Turf Moor victory.

And he warned of a long winter ahead unless the Clarets pull together and fight their way out of a hole, starting at Gillingham today.

He said: "We can't carry on like this. Last season we took five games to pick up a point and we weren't playing as well as we are now.

"We are playing very good football, but we are not winning games and at the end of the day if we are not winning we will go down - it's as simple as that.

"That's three games now and I just feel that because we have played that well and haven't won, maybe it's starting to get to the lads.

"The heads seem to be going down quite quickly when we go behind, so we have all got to have strong characters and pull through it because if we don't we are going down and we are far too good to go down."

Goals from Peter Kennedy and Nathan Ellington ensured the Latics' hoodoo over the Clarets extended to 14 games after Stan Ternent's men controlled the game, but froze in both penalty areas.

Branch added: "Some of the football is unbelievable, but we are just lacking that killer instinct. I can't believe the amount of chances we are creating in games - and again it's just stupid mistakes costing us.

"The gaffer has had a go at a few players for the first goal - but other teams don't give us goals like that. If we weren't conceding stupid goals, we would be battering teams and if we carry on gifting them, it's going to be a very tough season.

"We need to stiffen up at the back and take some of the chances and we will be winning games. It will turn, I'm 100 per cent sure, but it has to turn soon."

Clarets chief Ternent was equally disappointed the Clarets fans headed for home without seeing their side put points on the board.

But he urged supporters to "keep the faith" as he looks for the winning formula, hampered by the absence of last season's top scorer Gareth Taylor.

He said: "A big striker is a miss for us and I think the lads are sometimes reluctant to put the ball into the box because of that. The aerial threat is away and at the moment I'm fiddling around with it. I'm trying to get someone in, but at the moment it ain't just that easy.

"It's difficult for everyone connected with the club at the moment. We are not getting a break and on top of that we are giving some poor goals away, so basically we just have to keep the faith.

"I think we are playing reasonably well and we are creating a lot of chances, but they won't just go in for us at the moment. We have to keep our chins up and get on with it because it will turn if we keep at it." Ternent, hoping to stop the rot at the fourth time of asking at Gillingham today (3pm), added: "It was worse last season. We have lost three (games) now and it was the fifth before we got anything then. It's going to be a difficult season for us - I think everyone is reasonably aware of that.

"But we are not looking for sympathy, we are looking for support and I must say I felt the supporters were fantastic again."