BURNLEY'S longest serving player, Paul Smith, is hoping to mark his first ever league appearance at Deepdale tomorrow with the win to take Burnley back to the top of the table.

Despite making his debut for the Clarets in the 1993/94 season, which puts him just ahead of Chris Brass and Paul Weller in terms of senior duty, Smith has never figured in an away-day derby against Preston.

However he is looking to put that record straight to continue his and the team's bright start to the campaign.

"If selected," he said. "It should be a good game and we will be taking quite a few supporters.

"Preston are not doing all that well just at the moment and hopefully we can get one over them."

However, despite their recent poor run, which has seen North End slip into mid-table, Smith knows that may count for little in a fixture Preston won 5-1 last season.

"It makes no difference," he stressed. "It's a derby game and everyone wants to play, is 100 per cent committed and everyone wants to win.

"We want to stay in the top six to be pushing for the play-offs or go for promotion. And if we can keep playing well and working hard I'm sure we can be in there."

Smith has forced his way back into the Clarets line-up as a left wing-back after a couple of injury-ravaged seasons. And despite competition from Tom Cowan, he's likely to keep his place in an unchanged Burnley side.

Manager Stan Ternent has delayed naming his squad to check on the fitness of John Mullin and Lenny Johnrose and to run the rule over Alan Lee and Mark Robertson, who have been involved on international duty for much of the last fortnight. The Clarets are level on points with Second Division leaders Bristol Rovers, who face a tough trip to third-placed Wigan, after collecting their fourth win in six games against Bournemouth a week ago.

And Ternent, whose side will bear little resemblance to the one that crumbled at Preston 10 months ago, will be looking to his players to maintain those high standards against a North End line-up desperate for a win after successive home defeats.

Preston will give a late fitness test to recent signing Rob Edwards, who injured a knee in the reserves' 1-1 draw at Burnley on Wednesday night.

Edwards deputised for suspended skipper Sean Gregan in North End's defeat by Chesterfield last Saturday.

If he doesn't recover, Michael Appleton, another who figured at Turf Moor in mid-week, could take over.

Burnley from: Crichton, West, Smith, Mellon, Davis, Thomas, Armstrong, Cook, Little, Payton, Branch, Jepson, Brass, Johnrose, Robertson, Cowan, Mullin, Lee.

Preston from: Moilanen, Alexander, Jackson, Murdock, Ludden, Cartwright, Rankine, Edwards, Eyres, Nogan, Basham, McKenna, Macken, Appleton, Eaton, O'Hanlon.

The Clarets youth team entertain Rochdale in the Youth Alliance league tomorrow morning.

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