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[monks data]
Burnley logo
Championship
Mar 1, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Derby logo

2-0

Jones (29'), Marney (68')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Burnley vs. Derby County

Sports Mole previews Saturday's crucial Championship clash between automatic promotion rivals Burnley and Derby at Turf Moor.

Two of the Championship's top three teams go head to head on Saturday afternoon as Burnley host Derby County in a huge match in the race for automatic promotion.

Burnley currently reside in the coveted second place, although Derby have emerged as their closest rivals in recent weeks as Queens Park Rangers have suffered a dip in form.

The Clarets are two points clear of the Rams as things stand, and a victory for either side on Saturday could prove to be a vital swing in points.

Should the hosts win then a five-point gap would begin to look quite comfortable for them, particularly given their fine recent form.

Sean Dyche's side have not been beaten in their last 10 Championship outings and have only lost three times all season, the joint-fewest number of defeats for any side in England's top four divisions.

They remain the only Championship side to have not suffered a loss at home this season, while their tally of just 10 goals conceded at Turf Moor is also the best record in the league.

The only concerning thing for Dyche may be the number of matches that his side are drawing having shared the spoils in four of their last seven outings.

The hosts have no new injury concerns to worry about and could opt for an unchanged lineup from the team that beat fellow promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest 3-1 last weekend.

A victory for Derby would lift them into the top two of the table, capping off a remarkable run of form under manager Steve McClaren.

The Rams suffered a minor blip at the start of the calendar year, falling to back-to-back league defeats, but they are the only two Championship losses in their last 18 games.

They are unbeaten in their last seven matches and boast the league's best goalscoring record, with 60 goals from their 32 outings.

Derby games have seen 100 goals in the league this season, more than any other club, but the cost of that is a defensive record that is the worst in the top 13 of the table.

However, they have cast aside their status as the league's entertainers in recent weeks, keeping three straight clean sheets and winning each game by a solitary goal to nil.

McClaren's men have one of the best away records in the Championship this season having picked up 31 points on their travels, one more than they have managed at home and a tally only leaders Leicester City can beat.

Paul Coutts remains sidelined for the visitors but they have no new injury concerns and could name an unchanged team for Saturday's match.

Recent form

Burnley: DDWWDW

Derby: DWDWWW

Possible starting lineups

Burnley: Heaton; Trippier, Mee, Shackell, Duff; Kightly, Marney, Arfield, Jones; Ings; Vokes

Derby: Grant; Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth; Eustace, Hendrick, Hughes, Russell; Bamford, Martin

Sports Mole says: 2-2


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Manager of Derby County Steve McClaren looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Derby County and Leeds United at Pride Park Stadium on October 05, 2013
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sunderland1695226121432
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd1610422191232
3Burnley168621961330
4Leeds UnitedLeeds158522491529
5Middlesbrough1683529191027
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom166821811726
7Watford168262524126
8Millwall166641914524
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn156451917222
10Bristol City165742020022
11Derby CountyDerby165562020020
12Stoke CityStoke165561920-120
13Norwich CityNorwich164752524119
14Swansea CitySwansea155461110119
15Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds165471826-819
16Luton TownLuton165381826-818
17Coventry CityCoventry164572223-117
18Oxford UnitedOxford Utd164571924-517
19Plymouth ArgylePlymouth164571728-1117
20Preston North EndPreston163761624-816
21Cardiff CityCardiff164481524-916
22Hull City163671621-515
23Portsmouth152671628-1212
24Queens Park RangersQPR161871326-1311


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