APPEARANCES can be deceptive, or at least they were as far as Leighton James was concerned ahead of Burnley's must-win match.

The Wales international may have adopted a cool exterior for the benefit of his team-mates but admitted: "Behind the mask there was a hurricane going on!

"I had never experienced anything like that before in my life, but it was our job.

"However much we were churning inside, we had to try to put on a calm face.

"During the game, I was all right. It was easier for us, as players, because at least we were on the field and could do something about the situation.

"The people with the hardest job of all were manager Brian Miller, his staff and the supporters, because once we came out onto the field there was nothing anyone else could do apart form hope and pray.

"The club has never come close to being in that position again.

"Sometimes a watershed isn't always a bad thing because one thing it did do was sharpen people's attentions to the saying we're too good to go down'.

"It made people sit up and be aware that nobody is too good to fail."