STAN TERNENT believes experience could be the key to success in the final tense weeks of the season.

And he is confident that his battle hardened troops are ready for the struggles that lie ahead, starting with the visit to Crewe Alexandra tomorrow.

The Clarets are currently lying fifth in the first division, ten points off leaders Wolves, but the Burnley boss is not ready to settle for a scrap for the play-offs

"If we can win ten of our last 13 games we will get automatic promotion. It always seems to pan out that we do well at this time of the season," claimed Ternent who has been in the shake-up for one reason or another in each of his last five seasons as a manager.

"I haven't got a crystal ball but if someone comes with a run it doesn't take long for things to change. We will get a win sooner or later and then we have to put a run of wins together.

"It is a question of having the will, desire and guts to do it but you also need the rub of the green. There will be nerves and if you have experienced something before it is much better than if you have not and it is certainly an experience managing Burnley."

Having only once fallen short of his target in those five seasons, last season finishing one place off the first division play-offs, and he is determined to get it right this time.

"Wolves are on a good run at the moment and Manchester City is a good side," he said.

"I would have thought City will have one of the automatic places and at the moment in looks like Wolves for the other but in this division anyone can beat another team on their day.

"We are doing alright, drawing three and winning one of our last four games and the players are doing well. We could do with a win because everybody becomes anxious and the expectation levels are high.

"I don't need reminding that we have only won one game in nine because people keep telling me."

With Tony Grant's hamstring likely to rule him out for the next few games, Ternent was happy to have given his players a practice game at Bolton in midweek and he explained: "Robbie Blake played and he is okay, he had no reaction after the match.

"Andy Payton played and is getting closer but Tony Grant is under treatment. Steve Davis is also getting closer and he has been training with the squad this week."

Experienced defender Mitchell Thomas was another player to have benefited from the midweek game and, with Ternent expressing his concern about the errors produced by central defenders Arthur Gnohere and Ian Cox in recent weeks, the return of him and Davis cannot come soon enough.

Next week sees Burnley with crucial home games against two of the sides just outside the top six who are determined to climb above them, Birmingham and Norwich City. Victory tomorrow would guarantee that Burnley will go into those key matches in good heart.

There will be no opportunity for Burnley fans to pay on the day at Gresty Road's Alexandra Stadium tomorrow so fans are urged to get their tickets from the club shop before travelling down the M6.

The third attempt to play the match against Bradford City at Turf Moor will take place on Wednesday March 20, three days after the derby clash with Preston North End. A frozen pitch caused the postponement on New Year's Day while a waterlogged pitch accounted for Tuesday's rearranged game.