EDDIE Howe has called for Burnley fans to be their 12th man and roar them into 2012 on a high.

This afternoon’s Boxing Day clash with Doncaster Rovers is the first of two back-to-back home games which brings the calendar year to a close for the Clarets.

Manager Howe was loathe to go so far as to say it was a make-or-break week for the club, who are looking up the table after climbing away from the relegation zone thanks to a run of four wins from five, but said: “It’s a really crucial point of the season now.

“It’s probably too early (to call it make-or-break) but we know the importance of the period we’re going into.

“We’re mid-table, our season goes one of two ways really and we’re desperate to make it a positive. The difference between the top and bottom sides is so small in terms of points. We’re still capable of making a run but the next games are going to be crucial as to where they take us.

“We want to push on and carry on getting good results.”

But after dropping 21 points in 11 games on their own patch, with five defeats and three draws, Howe knows improving their home form will be key to continuing their rise up the Championship ladder.

And the Clarets boss believes the fans can inspire the players by bringing Christmas cheer to Turf Moor.

“You just have to look at the Brighton crowd on Saturday and the part they played in Brighton’s performance,” said Howe, in reference to the noise the Albion fans made after their team was reduced to nine men at the AMEX Stadium last weekend.

“Their crowd stuck with their players and made it incredibly difficult for us.

“I thought they really were an extra man for them, and it just brought it home to me how important that can be if the Turf Moor crowd can get behind us on Boxing Day.

“I think first and foremost we’ve got to play with a higher tempo. We’ve got to play quicker.

“If we can do that and the crowd see us playing at a fast pace I think they’ll back us and get behind us. I think that’s so important.”

But with more than half of Burnley’s wins being viewed by the fraction of supporters who travel to away games, Howe understands the Turf Moor faithful’s frustrations.

“We’ve shown flashes of what we’re about at home in the games against Ipswich and Nottingham Forest especially, and Blackpool, where we played well in all those three wins. But there have been other games where we haven’t quite got going,” he said.

“We’re keen to put on a performance in front of our own fans and hopefully they can help us do that.

“I think the ones that don’t travel will be a little bit frustrated at what they’ve seen this year because we haven’t produced the results consistently.”

That sentiment was echoed by defender Michael Duff.

“The minority are seeing our best performances at the minute,” he said.

“The last home game wasn't a great one against Portsmouth. It should have probably been 0-0 – it was that sort of game. They're the sort of points we need to eke out. Every point is precious in this league and just in the last couple of months there have been quite a few last minute goals which have cost us probably three or four points.

“Hopefully the fans will get behind us. They can see we're on a little bit of a run at the minute and doing well away from home, but we need to start backing that up at home.

“It's no good winning away and not at home. It's almost flipped on its head in the last 12 months.

“We need to give them something to shout about, we need to start well and play at a high tempo, but hopefully the fans will turn up in their numbers and see a good game of football that we can hopefully get three points from.”