Burnley FC

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• Founded:1882
• Manager:Eddie Howe

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Preview: Burnley v Portsmouth

25 Feb 2010 - 15:55:06

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If Burnley are to avoid an immediate return to the Championship, victory against hapless Portsmouth at Turf Moor on Saturday would appear to be a necessity.

The Clarets have only taken one point from a possible 42 on offer away from home but still have hopes of staying up thanks to a home record that has seen them lose only twice in 12 matches.

Pompey's imminent move into administration has effectively consigned them to the drop so there are now only two relegation places to be filled and Burnley will be confident that they could still survive.

Sunday's 5-2 defeat at Aston Villa showed all their frailties away from Turf Moor as they competed well with Martin O'Neill's team for long periods only to be undone by a dreadful 12-minute second-half spell when they conceded four goals.

The Villa Park loss followed on from a 3-0 humbling at Fulham but they can take heart from the fact that only Chelsea and Wigan Athletic have beaten them on home soil.

In December at Fratton Park, second-half goals by Hermann Hreidarsson and Aruna Dindane helped Pompey beat Saturday's opponents 2-0, one of only four victories they have secured in a disastrous campaign both on and off the pitch.

Although the decision to move into administration would appear to have saved the club, the south coast side could now head into freefall with stabilisation in the Championship next term a necessity.

Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, and winning through the same stage of the Carling Cup earlier in the season before being beaten by Aston Villa, Pompey have not won in the league since Christmas.

They beat Liverpool in mid-December but have taken only two points, against West Ham United and Sunderland, from their next eight league matches.