Burnley are hoping to go Cherry picking

Everything just now points to an early morning pitch inspection, but my sources close to the Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe have told me this evening that they do expect the game to go ahead.

A postponement is certainly not what we want at this time. We need to get our games played and we don't really want to have to deal with a midweek trip to Dorset later in the season, so hopefully referee Graham Scott will be able to give it the go ahead.

If so, we go into the game having won twice in the last week. I was unfortunately absent from the Millwall game when, in dire conditions, we turned in an outstanding performance to win 3-1 with three superb goals, and very different goals at that.

Kieran Trippier and the importance of clean sheets

Sean Dyche has often said we have to find different ways to win games and three days later our first ever Reebok Stadium victory was a somewhat uglier affair with Sam Vokes grabbing the only goal.

We now head to Bournemouth looking for a win that will take our points total to 62, one more than in the entire 2012/13 season.

Again, ahead of this game, the names of Danny Ings and Sam Vokes have been on everyone's lips. It's no surprise, they've scored 40 league and cup goals between them and, of course, both are returning to their first club at Bournemouth.

Too often though, very little is said about our defensive record, but Tuesday's win brought our 12th clean sheet in the league this season, a record bettered by only two Championship clubs so far this season.

One of our defenders, Kieran Trippier, speaking this week said: "Before the gaffer came in you'd seen how many goals were conceded.

"The gaffer and the staff have done a lot of work with us as a back five and I think a clean sheet is the most important thing as it will help win you games."

Trippier will be coming up against a Bournemouth team managed by Eddie Howe, the man who signed him for Burnley. It's likely he'll be one of five Howe signings in the starting line up alongside fellow defenders Jason Shackell and Ben Mee along with strikers Ings and Vokes.

Two others in the side, Michael Duff and Dean Marney, were around when Howe was at Turf Moor so, should the team be unchanged as expected, only four players will have arrived since Howe left, goalkeeper Tom Heaton and midfielders Scott Arfield, David Jones and Michael Kightly.

Unless there are any late injuries, and none have been reported, I expect us to start with the same team which will be: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Scott Arfield, Dean Marney, David Jones, Michael Kightly, Danny Ings, Sam Vokes. Subs from: Alex Cisak, Kevin Long, Danny Lafferty, David Edgar, Steven Hewitt, Ross Wallace, Junior Stanislas, Keith Treacy, Ashley Barnes.

Bournemouth have been very much on the up since the Russian money came in and Howe returned from Turf Moor. Despite splashing the cash in the summer of 2012 things weren't looking too good until their favourite son returned to take over.

He move them up the table to promotion and so far they've more than held their heads above water after a somewhat dodgy start away from home that saw them take a couple of batterings.

They are currently just below midway in the table, 15th to be exact, with 35 points and it would be a major shock now if they suddenly found themselves anywhere near the bottom of the league.

Things have changed at Bournemouth. More than once a club on the brink they are now sound financially with Howe himself saying during the transfer window that they no longer need to sell players as they used to. Indeed, he was able to strengthen with signings such as Adam Smith from Spurs, a player often linked with us during Howe's time at Turf Moor, and Charlton striker Yann Kermogant.

They won't be quite at full strength tomorrow. Key summer signing Elliott Ward has been ruled out again. He suffered a knee injury two weeks ago after colliding with an advertising board during the game against Leicester.

They are also without Charlie Daniels at left back. He suffered a thigh injury in the warm up at Bolton last Saturday.

Bournemouth's last game was at Bolton, as was ours, and they too could go into the game with an unchanged team.

Their team at Bolton was: Lee Camp, Simon Francis, Ian Harte, Harry Arter, Tommy Elphick, Steve Cook, Matt Ritchie, Eunan O'Kane, Lewis Grabban, Andrew Surman, March Pugh. Subs: Ryan Allsop, Adam Smith, Shaun MacDonald, Ryan Fraser, Brett Pitman, Yann Kermogant, Tokelo Rantie.

Last Time We Were There

It's some time since we last played at Bournemouth; our last visit coming on 12th February 2000 during our promotion season under Stan Ternent.

One week earlier Andy Payton had been sent off against Bristol Rovers in a game that saw Ian Cox make a Burnley debut after a transfer from Bournemouth. All the talk all week had been about who might replace Payton for three games.

Andy Payton scored the goal

Suspensions didn't start immediately back then and Payton was able to play in this game, but I'll always remember a Burnley supporter approaching me in the pub before the game. Having asked if it was me who edited the then CISA web site, which I did, he said he had a story for me, that we were about to sign Ian Wright from Celtic.

so daft was the notion that I all but ignored it. Two days later it was confirmed and my big chance of a massive exclusive had gone.

But there was no Wright for this one as Payton scored the only goal of the game to win it 1-0 for us on a day when Cox received a fantastic ovation from the Bournemouth fans ahead of kick off at the old Dean Court.

Despite it being February, and despite it being a promotion season, this was only our third away win of the season after previous wins at Oldham and Cambridge. What we didn't know at the time that this was the first of seven away wins in the last nine away games, and the other two were drawn.

Payton won it for us with a 30th minute goal, heading home unmarked after a superb cross from Paul Cook on the left.

Cox was close to doubling the lead before half time but the second half was a different story as we were penned back by Bournemouth for long spells. Stood on the open end I seem to recall we were defending so deep at times that I'm sure at least a couple of our back four were behind me.

But, in truth, we never looked as though we might conceded and it was us who had the best chances of the second half with the home goalkeeper saving well from both Glen Little and Micky Mellon.

The win moved us above Millwall on goal difference into 4th place but we were still some six points behind Bristol Rovers in 2nd place and a further two points behind leaders Preston.

The teams were;

Bournemouth: Marc Ovendale, Eddie Howe (Jason Tindall), John O'Shea, Karl Broadhurst (Claus Jorgensen), Scott Mean, Christer Warren (Carl Fletcher), Richard Hughes, Jon O'Neil, Steve Robinson, Mark Stein, James Hayter. Subs not used: Gareth Stewart, Jamie Day.

Burnley: Paul Crichton, Steve Davis, Ian Cox, Mitchell Thomas, Glen Little, John Mullin (Micky Mellon), Lenny Johnrose, Paul Cook (Ronnie Jepson), Graham Branch, Andy Cooke, Andy Payton (Dean West). Subs not used: Gordon Armstrong, Paul Smith.

Previous Games against Bournemouth

Click HERE to see all previous results against Bournemouth