BURNLEY manager Steve Cotterill is desperate to end three months of hurt.

The Clarets boss admits he has found the 14-game winless run hard going and is eager to put an end to that pain when his side entertain Crystal Palace tomorrow.

But Cotterill revealed that he puts the desire for three points for the players, fans, chairman Barry Kilby and the rest of the board ahead of wanting the win for himself.

"I think, while I would get great satisfaction out of a win, I actually want it for other people, more than myself," he said.

"I really mean that. I want the win for the players, our supporters, the chairman and directors more than myself.

"I think they've had enough of this sufferance period as well.

"If we get that against Palace, if things drop well for us and we play well, like we have done, nothing would make me more pleased.

"I'd be delighted to be able to give that to those people.

"Those people who know me personally know I'm a winner, so not winning is tough.

"It hurts me, but I'm strong enough to cope with that, and if we win, Monday morning I'll come back in and do exactly the same as I've done for 11 years."

He added: "Every day is tough, but I'm fine with it, I'm okay, because you have to be.

"You have to be strong and calm, composed, keep a level head when everyone else around you is losing theirs.

"It's important you keep yours, because if I start losing mine, then the players will have no chance.

"They will know what's required when they take to the pitch, like they know every week, we just need a few bounces of the ball and the rub of the green to get us out of this rut.

"We have a tough game at home, but it's more than winnable, and our performances, of late, have been better than our results."

Cotterill said he could not confirm whether Wayne Thomas and Chris McCann, who were both carried off the pitch on stretchers in last week's 0-0 draw at Colchester, would have recovered in time to be in contention for the squad to face Palace tomorrow.

"One of them is better than the other, but I won't tell you for obvious reasons because I'll give my team away a little bit," he said.

"We'll just wait and see.

"They're nip and tuck, we're just hoping they'll be okay.

"Alan Mahon's the same, he's probably not kicked on enough to be involved against Palace, but we'll have to wait and see."