DEFIANT Jimmy Mullen has warned his shell-shocked players: "You're playing for your pride!"

Mullen knows tomorrow's crunch Lancashire derby against old foes Stockport County could prove a watershed for the Clarets following the humiliation of the Auto Windscreens Shield defeat at Brunton Park.

Now, following a clear-the-air meeting with his first team squad, he issued this pledge to worried Turf Moor fans.

"I'm demanding a 100 per cent improvement on the 5-0 defeat at Carlisle.

"Anything else will be totally and utterly unacceptable," he rapped.

"The last few days have been very difficult. Certainly, among the hardest I've spent as manager at Burnley. The defeat at Carlisle hurt me a lot. It hurt the supporters and it hurt the players too.

"We were appalling at Carlisle, nobody needs to tell me that. "But we all need to row in the same direction. We must all pull together. We need to get that defeat out of our system as quickly as possible.

"Weve all worked very hard in training this week and all the players are in a good frame of mind.

"That is why Stockport represents a great test for us. We need to get the right result to restore our pride and passion."

Mullen watched Stockport slump to a 2-1 home reverse to Bradford City at Edgeley Park on Wednesday.

But he points to the previous history of Stockport versus Burnley clashes and County's FA Cup heroics at Goodison Park last Sunday when they gave holders Everton the fright of their lives.

Stockport were expected to be cannon fodder as Joe Royle's men began the defence of their trophy.

But County forced a 2-2 draw to take the tie back to a replay at Edgeley Park next Wednesday.

"You know what you are going to get with Stockport and it will be fierce," predicted Mullen.

"They made a super draw at Everton and, by all accounts, they should have won. We know what sort of battles we've had against them in the past. "The Wembley Play-Off game will be remembered by Burnley fans for many years to come and the 0-0 draw at Stockport last August was one hell of a game.

"We had to defend in depth to keep them out. Tomorrow we will be going all out to try and stop them in their tracks.

"Above all, though, we need to win the game and prove to everybody that Carlisle was a one-off.

"I just hope and pray we do. Because I know we are a side who have the ability, man for man, to win promotion. We must make it happen against Stockport. I will not settle for anything else."

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