LENNY Johnrose today joined Burnley in a £250,000 deal in time to make his debut against Reading at Turf Moor tomorrow.

Burnley boss Stan Ternent returned to former club Bury to swoop for the 29-year-old midfielder.

Johnrose was a mainstay of Ternent's Bury side that climbed from the Third to the First Division.

And Ternent has again turned to a player he knows inside out as he continues to re-build his squad at Turf Moor with the financial backing of chairman Barry Kilby.

Johnrose started his career with Blackburn Rovers, making his debut as a trainee in December 1987, and made 42 League appearances for the Ewood Park club before joining Hartlepool for £10,000 after a short loan spell with Preston.

Playing as a striker in those days, he was converted to a midfield man following his transfer to Gigg Lane in December 1993.

And he became a key figure under Ternent who is likely to employ him as a new central midfield partner for recent £350,000 buy Micky Mellon which could release Gordon Armstrong - one of four former Bury players now on the Burnley books - to take up a more defensive role. Johnrose was a near ever-present for the Shakers last season and having impressed in Bury's Worthington Cup win over the Clarets this season, he looks the type of player to add some strength and steel to the Burnley midfield.

Bury boss Neil Warnock was certainly upset to lose his man.

"I'm disappointed that Lenny has opted to go to Burnley where it's reputed he's got more money," said Warnock, who is lining up Swindon's Martin Bullock as a £200,000 replacement.

Meanwhile, Clarets striker Andy Cooke is relishing another Turf Moor showdown as Burnley go hunting for their first home League win since November.

Ternent's men have stumbled in their own back yard in recent weeks, while Reading arrive with an unbeaten away run in the Second Division stretching back to September 26. But with one of those records set to fall, Cooke is looking forward to making home advantage count.

"Personally I don't worry about it, I don't know if other players do or not," he insisted.

"There has always been high expectation playing at home with Burnley traditionally being a side that doesn't lose very often at home.

"There might be that hanging over some players but it doesn't really bother me, I look forward to playing at home.

"We are on a bit of a bad run at home at the moment - is it five games without a win - but I am looking forward to it."

Cooke will have to manage without service from winger Glen Little who misses the game with an abductor muscle strain.

Ternent has a number of options open to him to make up for Little's absence - including Johnrose - with Ally Pickering and Mark Robertson also both pushing for a re-call. But whichever way he plays it, Cooke admitted that Burnley could do with picking up maximum points after they slipped back to 16th-place following a second successive home defeat by Luton Town last Saturday.

He added: "Obviously we need to get back to winning ways. We were a bit unfortunate on Saturday but hopefully we can put things right against Reading.

"We definitely need three points at home to give the fans something to cheer about and hopefully I can get a goal."

Cooke hasn't scored in his last two games but had found the net in his previous three and is looking more like the player that finished last season with a bang to hit the 20-goal mark.

"I'm just glad really to get things back on track. I had a bit of a bad run but the gaffer has been behind me and he has said most of the time just keep going, keep working hard and things will go for you," Cooke said.

However, he knows his strike-rate can improve and is striving to iron out some flaws in front of goal.

"I get very frustrated with myself when I don't score when I get in what I think are very good situations," he admitted.

"You don't try and miss on purpose, especially as a striker when you try and score every game.

"When a couple of chances go begging and then you get a couple late on it's just frustration more than anything that you miss them because you snatch a bit." "But you don't want to miss them on purpose. That would be the only thing about my game at the moment

"I just get a bit frustrated when I don't score but I'm just glad that things are getting back on track."

Reading, with four wins and three draws in their last seven away games, are expected to recall captain Phil Parkinson and central midfield partner Darren Caskey after suspensions.

And the Royals will also show a change up front with 10-goal leading scorer Martin Williams out with a knee injury. Jim McIntyre or Paul Brayson stand by to come in alongside loan signing Tony Thorpe.

Burnley from: Crichton, Pickering, Morgan, Mellon, Johnrose, Davis, Reid, Moore, Armstrong, Cooke, Payton, Branch, Robertson, Swan, Maylett, Brass, Ford.

Reading from: Howie, Primus, Casper, Clement, Gurney, Brebner, Houghton, Parkinson, Caskey, Gray, Glasgow, McIntyre, Thorpe, Sarr, Brayson, McPherson.

The Clarets 'A' team are at home to Tranmere tomorrow morning, while the under-18s travel to Chester City.

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