BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent is backing leading scorer Andy Payton to return to the goal trail and keep the Clarets' promotion push firing on all cylinders.

Payton has gone five games without a goal following an explosive start to the season which saw him score eight times in 11 starts.

Apart from a guilt-edged opportunity to get on the scoresheet against Wrexham a week ago, the chances have largely dried up for the Clarets striker.

And the flow of goals has also been disrupted by a bout of illness and an off-the-field incident last month.

However, Payton's pedigree has never been in question. And Ternent has every faith in the player whose 43 goals for the club have still come at better than a goal every two games since his move from Huddersfield Town in January 1998.

"All strikers go through that sort of patch and he's had a lot on his plate," said Ternent. "It doesn't concern me because I know he will come up with the goods."

At one stage last season Payton hit a nine-game barren run as the Clarets struggled desperately for form at the turn of the year.

But his response was emphatic as he scored six goals in his next six games to help the Clarets to four victories which kept them up. One of those goals came at Blackpool and the Seasiders, beaten by a Payton penalty at Turf Moor last November, will be in the striker's sights again on Sunday.

However, while Payton waits for a break in front of goal, the burden has been shared by strike partner Andy Cooke.

Cooke's goal at Luton on Saturday was his fourth in five League games since his return from injury and Ternent confirmed his in-form striker is "on fire" at the moment.

The Burnley boss was naturally disappointed to see Burnley's winning run come to an end at Luton but wasn't too unhappy with the performance.

And while he insists his side isn't yet the finished article, Ternent will be looking for a return to winning ways against Blackpool.

"It was a bit of a set-back, but you are going to get them. You can't be expected to win every game.

"It's how you react that counts and I have every confidence in my players," insisted the boss, who hopes that Gordon Armstrong will be fit to continue at left-back and will also check on the fitness of Lenny Johnrose, Dean West, Paul Smith and Tom Cowan.

Mark Robertson is definitely ruled out after flying out to meet up with the Australian under-23 squad in Tunisia yesterday.

But after two games against Tunisia's Olympic side, the midfielder should be back for Burnley's game at Reading two weeks tonight.

Blackpool have their own in-form strikers in John Murphy and loan signing John Durnin.

Both scored in a 2-2 draw with Wigan on Saturday and manager Nigel Worthington expects Murphy to play despite sustaining a facial injury which required eight stiches.

Jimmy Mullen's FA Cup run was ended last night when the former Clarets boss saw his Merthyr Tydfil side lose 2-1 to Stalybridge Celtic in a second round replay.

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