Laws looks to derby win for escape route

Burnley manager believes beating Blackburn can spark revival for ailing Clarets

It may not have the global reach of last weekend's North-west derby but the fire and fury at Turf Moor tomorrow will match anything seen or heard when Liverpool visited Old Trafford last weekend.

The noon kick-off, at police direction, underscores the passion surrounding clashes between Burnley and Blackburn Rovers, with the atmosphere heightened by their rarity, and Burnley's imperilled Premier League status.

The Burnley manager, Brian Laws, who knows the enmity between the clubs better than most as a former Clarets player, hopes the match could prompt an improbable escape.

"It is not an ordinary game by any stretch of the imagination," he said. "This was the game people looked for when the fixtures came out, the one they have been waiting for. Forget the League, this is a one-off, an unbelievable game everyone wants to be part of. The consequences are massive for a lot of reasons. If we can win against Blackburn it can do all sorts of things for us in a positive way. These games don't come very often but when they do they are very memorable."

One man delighted to be involved in Rovers' first top-flight visit to Turf Moor in 44 seasons is Jason Brown, Rovers' keeper. After three league starts in three-and-a-half seasons since signing from Gillingham, the 27-year-old Welshman has found himself between the sticks for a formidable run of fixtures. Brown replaced Paul Robinson after Rovers' regular keeper suffered a calf injury at White Hart Lane earlier this month. His first start was against Chelsea last weekend, and Manchester United are on the horizon before Robinson returns.

"It has been difficult waiting to play, but while you'd never wish injury on anyone, and I do feel for Robbo, it's nice to get a run," he said. "It is a good opportunity and it's great to play against some of the best teams in Europe."

Rovers were behind after five minutes last weekend and Brown admitted he thought to himself, "Wow, it's going to be one of those days." He added: "There's no bigger test than Chelsea, they have so much attacking power, but we held on to half-time then played really well in the second half and deserved our point."

A midweek victory over Birmingham followed and, said Brown, Rovers will make the short journey with confidence. "Although we've not picked up the results, we've been playing well away from home."

Rovers have not lost to Burnley since 1979 and Brown added: "Though they are desperate for points I think some of their fans will not mind going down as long as they beat us."

"We want to give the supporters the chance to have the bragging rights because it has been a long time since they have had them," Laws added. "My team talk will be very minimal because they all know what's at stake."