No glamour but solid endeavour

Charlton have lost only two league games away this season, but Burnley have lost at home only once and have won five of their eight games at home. All this makes for an interesting clash at Turf Moor tomorrow, although Charlton have lost their last two games in the Championship there. I was at the last one, a 2-1 defeat on a murky Tuesday in February. Burnley are no doubt hoping for a fifth successive home win against the Addicks, a sequence that started in 1983.

The pundits had Burnley in positions between 10th and 19th pre-season, but since then they have lost their manager with Sean Dyche now in charge. However, while there is not much expectation that they will get into the play offs, they are unlikely to be relegated either. They appeared to be out of their depth in their one season in the Premiership, but they are solid enough at Championship level.

Up front former brickie Charles Austin was the top scorer last season with 16 goals. However, in the 2-1 defeat the Clarets suffered at Ipswich last Saturday he was very quiet and well shackled by the Ipswich defence. In defence Michael Duff was strong in the air and on the ground, while Chris McCann was the best midfielder. He kept pushing and probing and never gave up.

On Monday I was phoned by a rather bemused and flustered reporter from the Bristol Evening Post. There is certainly an issue about why Bristol is punching below its sporting weight, but the relatively small and far from prosperous town of Burnley has long punched above its weight in football terms. This match is between two of the least glamorous and fashionable teams in the Championship. All the officials are from 'oop north and it may be that northern grit will end Charlton's good run on the road which has lasted since mid-September, but I am going for a draw.