GLEN Little is backing Burnley's unbreakable spirit to help them secure a play-off spot on the final day of the season.

"Saturday's defeat at Grimsby was one of the most depressing days of my career but I know we can bounce back from it," he said.

"The other biggest disappointment was when we lost 5-0 at Blackburn last season. That was such a big derby game and the following week people were down.

"But we came back, played Preston on the Friday night and won 3-0. That is what we have got to try and do this time around."

Little accepts that the first half display at Grimsby was not good enough but he refuses to believe that the Clarets perilous position is down to that result alone.

"Over the last couple of months we have had enough chances to get the points we need to be in the top six," he said. "It is not down to Grimsby, there are other games we can look back on.

"But I still say that at the start of the season we would have taken this position if we had been offered it.

"We're going into the last game, at home, in the top six and with the chance of making the play-offs.

"This is now a one-off game, a must win and so much has happened already this season that I am not surprised it has come to this.

"We have had good spells, we have had bad spells but we have been hanging on in there. We have hardly been out of the top six all season and we now have the same points as last season.

"Looking back I think we have done better than last season but it will be a massive disappointment if we don't get in the play-offs, the biggest disappointment ever for me. But we can't think like that because we still have high hopes, we still have it all to play for."

Little admitted the away dressing room at Blundell Park was a sombre place on Saturday but he is well aware of how important Lee Briscoe's late goal could be.

"I had come off at half time, I knew the Norwich score and I had worked out that we would be out of the top six if it didn't change," he said. "With ten minutes to go me and Jeppo (Ronnie Jepson) were screaming to the bench that we needed to score and I said to Brizza afterwards it could be the most important goal of the season."

The players have now got to put all the recent disappointments behind them and focus on the task in hand and Little admitted: "We have got to have a good week and bounce back from the disappointment.

"One thing that has never been in doubt is the spirit in the squad. We are good friends, we have a laugh and we stick together, that's what keeps us going.

"The manager will make sure we prepare properly. We know he was disappointed on Saturday but we have a chance to still put it right.

"We don't want to miss out because you know you then have to start from scratch next season. People will look at our game and say that playing Coventry is harder than Norwich playing Stockport but you can't tell."