STEVE Cotterill has dispelled the fear that re-laying the Turf Moor pitch ahead of a hectic few days is a massive gamble.

A 15ft strip of lush new grass was today being laid down the entire length of the pitch ahead of tomorrow's Championship clash with the Royals.

The new turf will have little time to bed in, with Liverpool arriving just three days later for the rearranged FA Cup third round tie.

But Clarets boss Cotterill insisted: "The pitch will be alright. The guys are doing this kind of thing day in and day out and it would have been a bigger gamble leaving it than laying new turf.

"We really needed to get the old pitch up because it's been down 30 years and when they dug it up, it stunk.

"It was saturated but then three or four inches down it was rock hard and more like a coalface!"

Replacing the pitch will hopefully provide a short-term solution to the flooding problem that has hit Burnley hard since New Year's Day.

And Cotterill added: "It is the first possibility we have had of doing something about it.

"We've spent a few quid on getting it sorted out and that will help us get to the summer, when we've then got to spend a few more quid probably."

Burnley will now be aiming to continue their impressive home form on the new surface after winning their last four league games at Turf Moor without conceding a single goal.

But Cotterill insisted: "I don't think we're doing anything different at home now than we were earlier in the season."

ON A ROLL: The grass is layed

"There's perhaps a bigger understanding between all of the lads and we've kept clean sheets while the chances have gone in."

"But sooner or later that was going to turn anyway. We created enough chances earlier in the season in games which we drew, like the Wolves game.

"But the more efforts on the opponents' goal we have, the more chance we have of winning games."