A Day to Win at WBA

Today AccyClaret provides his match preview as the Clarets travel to the Hawthorns for the clash with League leaders, West Brom.

'Free away travel for the game against West Brom seems to have done the trick, with apparently (this is what the ticket office told me) over 2000 tickets sold, Clarets fans seem to be taking to their respective supporters clubs in droves for the trip to the league leaders. This is all going to help the team go in search of that play off place. Lot`s of Clarets sat in the Smethwick End of The Hawthorns can only help the team`s excellent away record.

To have the second best away record in the Championship, at this point of the season is all good and now that the home form is coming together it`s time to capitalise.

The Inclusion of 2 new faces in the squad can only improve things, First new boy is the not so young Andrew Cole. The prolific striker who is the Premierships second highest scorer and had a career spanning 18 years may not be to everyone`s taste due to his age, but he`ll score whenever given a sniff of the goal, which adds options to the front line. The second new boy is our first young player acquired during the transfer window, 18 year old Mark Randall, who is as old as Cole`s career! A bright young star in the making kindly loaned to us by Arsenal, he`s a natural midfielder who can play in any position and has an eye for goal too, not bad at all really.

West Brom will be looking for a win at home after getting beaten by Nobbers on Tuesday. They may find that this is not what Owen Coyle is going to let them do. With the momentum the Clarets are currently building, he is remaining positive and believes the win is there for the taking.

West Brom are beatable, we beat them at the Turf 2-1 on the opening day of the season after going 1 - 0 down.

We all know that they are meant to have the best team in the league and play attractive football, now that Owen Coyle is in charge so do we.

Last seasons game at The Hawthorns was a bit of a disappointment with us losing 3 - 0 so this time round we need to take the game to them and prove our mettle.

Clarke Carlisle, Steve Jones and Alan Mahon won`t feature due to injury and Kyle Lafferty serves the final game of his suspension.

After keeping a clean sheet last week, Brian Jensen should start in goal. With Randall and Cole most likely starting from the bench.

So the likely line up is:

Jensen, Alexander, Varga, Unsworth, Harley, Elliott, James O'Connor, Gudjonsson, McCann, Blake and Akinbiyi.

Subs: Kiraly, Spicer, Jordan, Randall and Cole

(Editor's Comment: No place for Caldwell then?)

So, everyone who`s making the trip to The Hawthorns in the morning let`s all get behind the lads and give them that extra bit of encouragement to get all 3 points.

Come on you Clarets

Accy Claret

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Many thanks to AccyClaret for his match preview. Contact the site or mention your interest in the forums if you too would like to write match previews or reviews for Vital Burnley

To follow

West Brom top scorer Kevin Phillips hopes to return from a calf strain.

Their new signing from Manchester City, striker injury and wont feature

If he plays and I suspect he will then he will be the obvious danger

See above

The Clarets will be hoping to catch a glimpse of our new signings at some point in the match but it is possible both Andy Cole and Mark Randall could start from the bench. The gaffer doesnt seem keen to change things around too much, especially when the team are on a winning streak.

We have of course beaten West Brom in our last two home matches of 2007.

They were defeated 3-2 in April after we came from behind.Gray got a brace that day and McCann the other. This was during our good period towards the end of last season after consigning the 19 winless run to bed.

The Clarets then beat the Baggies again at the start of 2007/8 season, 2-0 with Steve Jones getting a brace.

Back in November 2007 though at the start of the bad run, we were hopelessly beaten 3-0 at the Hawthorns as mentioned in the above preview.

I think this will be a tough match and we will be lucky to get something from the game but we can do this- 2-1 to the Clarets, I hope but more likely 1-1

Relegation threatened Colchester are the visitors to Turf Moor in our next match on Saturday 9th February @ 3pm KO

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