BURNLEY legend Jimmy McIlroy believes Clarets striker Ray Pointer was the equal of England captain Alan Shearer.

McIlroy played alongside Pointer for six seasons, including Burnley's 1959-60 Championship-winning campaign.

He saw the England international score over 100 times for the Clarets in a style that put him on a par with Shearer when he was leading the Blackburn attack.

McIlroy went with his niece to Ewood Park when Shearer scored the winner against Middlesbrough and was asked afterwards who was the better player between the Rovers man and Pointer.

"I would honestly say I wouldn't rate one above the other," said McIlroy.

GLEN Little was rated the joint third top performer in the Second Division in January by Match magazine.

Little ranked alongside ex-Claret David Eyres, Bristol Rovers striker Jason Roberts and Wrexham defender Brian Carey, with Walsall midfielder Dean Keates topping the poll.

Little wasn't at his best in the three games he played in the month as he returned from a double hernia operation.

The Burnley winger, sidelined again today with an abductor muscle injury, was impressive at Millwall and obviously did enough against Chesterfield and Lincoln to catch the eye of the Match man.

Micky Mellon was ranked joint seventh, while ex-Claret John Eyre was rated second in Division Three for his performances for promotion-chasing Scunthorpe.

BEN Woods got the goal as Burnley 'A' drew 1-1 at Wrexham in their latest Lancashire League game.

TWO wins, two draws and two defeats with nine goals scored in their last six games mean Burnley are ranked 13th on current form in Division Two, as opposed to their 16th-position in the League table.

Manchester City are the form side with four wins and two draws in their last six outings, while not suprisingly Macclesfield are bottom with six straight defeats.

CARL Asaba's goal for Gillingham in their 3-1 win over fellow play-off hopefuls Chesterfield last Saturday took him clear of Andy Payton at the top of the Second Division goal-scoring charts.

Asaba's 15 puts him one ahead of Payton, without a goal in four games, Walsall's Andy Rammell and Richard Cresswell of York City.

NICKY Spooner, who broke a leg at Turf Moor in October 1994 and suffered a succession of injuries thereafter, has left Bolton to join the North American Soccer League.

THE Clarets reserves return to action at Turf Moor for the first time in over a month when they entertain Barnsley next Wednesday night.

Burnley are back in the bottom two of the Pontins League First Division after Bolton reserves beat Sheffield Wednesday in mid-week.

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