STAN Ternent is praying Lady Luck continues to shine on Burnley over the closing weeks of the season.

The Clarets chief knows his side have enjoyed some long-overdue fortune in recent games following countless hammer blows over the course of a turbulent campaign.

Another setback arrived today with the news that defender Dean West definitely misses tomorrow's home clash with Norwich after picking up an abductor muscle strain in training on Thursday.

But ahead of the Clarets' first home game in almost a month, Ternent is remaining positive in the hope that fortune will again favour his braves.

He said: "Back at Nottingham Forest, David Johnson had a header that hit the underside of the bar and came out.

"Then we got another break at Bradford last Saturday with a late winner, so maybe things have finally turned for us and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that is the turning point.

"I think if you were to say we would get four points from those two games, that would be a good return.

"That's what we got, but we still need to be winning another three games."

In contrast, Norwich head for Turf Moor aiming to close in on one of the two automatic promotion places.

And the Canaries know they cannot afford to slip up while third placed Sunderland pile on the pressure.

Ternent admitted: "It will be a good game because Norwich are a good side. They have been doing well all season after getting a lot of financial backing from Delia Smith.

"Nigel Worthington has a well-balanced side with a good blend of experience and youth, pace aplenty and a bit of everything.

"It's a team of very good professionals who get on with the job and don't get distracted. They share the goals out and you can't be top of the league at this stage of the season if you don't have a consistency about you.

"They have good quality at our level, so it will be tough."

Lee Roche is expected to deputise for West, while new boy Dele Adebola has recovered from his own stomach strain and should make his Turf Moor bow from the bench.

And Ternent reckons the Turf Moor crowd can be another extra man as the Clarets look to secure back-to-back league wins for only the second time this season.

He said: "The fans are always behind us and they have been fantastic all season really. Since the Christmas we have only lost two league games, so we are going well and playing well enough to pick up the wins we need quickly. We both need the points tomorrow so it will be a tough match, but we will be trying our hardest to get them."