A HUGE black cloud will hang over the Priestfield Stadium tonight when Burnley take on Gillingham 24 hours after the tragic death of assistant manager Sam Ellis's son Tim.

Clarets players will wear black armbands in memory of the 28-year-old and it will take a huge effort to focus on the match following the personal tragedy of Stan Ternent's popular number two.

Skipper Steve Davis had hoped to celebrate a happy birthday with three points, but the death of Tim once again has put sport in perspective.

Ternent had wanted games called off after the September 11 tragedy in America and one can only imagine the agony he is suffering today at the tragic loss suffered by his close friend and right-hand man.

Meanwhile, Clarets' skipper Davis is 33 today and like everyone else at the club he is hoping to put Sunday's defeat at Wolves behind him with a better display at the Priestfield Stadium.

After the 3-0 mauling by table-topping Wolves he admitted: "The match at Gillingham offers us a great chance to bounce back.

"We were very poor in the first half against Wolves but we did play better in the second half and could have got a couple of goals."

And it was the display after the break that alerted tonight's hosts to the potential danger posed by Ternent's men.

The Gills assistant manager Richard Hill was in the stands at Molineux and he said: "I thought in the second half Burnley were very, very unfortunate, they played well.

"As for the first half, I don't think you should take anything away from Wolves.

"Burnley came up against a very good side that I have no shadow of doubt will be up there in the top two by the end of the season.

"But we know Burnley are a good side and that is all credit to Stan (Ternent) and Sam (Ellis).

"They have done a very good job and have been very astute in terms of players and selection."

The selection for tonight will be key for Burnley, not just in terms of personnel but in terms of formation.

Having recorded a rare clean sheet with a 3-5-2 line-up against Crystal Palace, Ternent opted for the same shape against Wolves at the weekend but had to change after being found out by the 4-4-2 of Dave Jones's side.

The Gills are certain to play with three at the back and so Ternent will have the chance to go like for like again, as against Palace.

A week ago he praised his players for going out and winning their own individual battles but at the weekend, in the first half at least, they simply raised the white flag.

Tonight they must rediscover the form that saw them win their first four away games of the season.

There are a number of selection questions for Ternent to answer. Is Glen Little fit to start the match just 48 hours after he played more than 65 minutes against Wolves following his recovery from a hamstring injury?

Are both Paul Cook and Ian Cox going to be sufficiently recovered from the slight strains that saw them taken off in the match at Molineux two days ago?

There is little doubt that the home side will be unchanged after ending a run of five straight defeats by beating Walsall on Saturday and assistant boss Hill warned the Clarets: "We have not been playing badly and there was never any problems within the camp.

"We have only spent £50,000 in the summer and we cannot go out and pay wages of seven, eight, nine and ten thousand pounds.

"But wWe are in a false position near the bottom of the table and we are confident that we can get into the top half."

That was Burnley boss Stan Ternent's aim at the start of the season, to confirm his side in the upper echelons of the first division, but even after the disappointment of Sunday's defeat he was stressing his belief that Burnley will be up near the top by next April.

A win tonight would support his conviction and get the Clarets season back on track. And it would also mean skipper Davis will have a very happy birthday.