“AS a team, and as the manager, I apologise to the fans for that because I expect a lot better than those players have shown,” said Burnley boss Owen Coyle in the aftermath of their 3-0 New Year’s Day defeat at Blackpool.

“We had good support and those people had paid good money to watch it.

"The players will know themselves that we, as a club, have let everyone down.

“But we win, lose and draw together. We will look to each other for what we can do differently or better.

“If they are the type of players I believe they are, they will be hurting.”

Nine and a half months on, it still smarts.

But tonight provides the first opportunity to put to bed, perhaps once and for all, a performance that still haunts Coyle, his staff, and the players who were involved on that chilly afternoon at Bloomfield Road.

“There’s no getting away from it. At the time it was very hurtful because I thought we passed the ball in the game but on that particular day but I felt we lost too many individual battles, so that’s why it’s important that we make sure we win them tonight and go and earn the right to play,” was Coyle’s rallying call ahead of the first Lancashire derby of the season, and the first of two this month with the visit of Preston North End just over a week away.

“Blackpool are a good side, well organised and coming off the back of some good results.

“They’ve won their last two games in the Championship back-to-back, which is always difficult to do. But we’ll be ready for it, we’ll go and earn the right to play, and if we do that then I think we’ve got a real chance.”

And Robbie Blake believes they owe it to the supporters to produce the goods.

“It was one of those bad days at Blackpool so hopefully we can get that out of the system,” he said.

“This is a big one for us. We got hammered away from home, and the lads won’t forget that. We want to put it right.

“Blackpool have started well, they’ve got a good manager and he’s got them well organised.”

While Simon Grayson’s Tangerines are only one point better off, a gulf of seven places separates the two sides. But the Clarets are desperate to bridge it tonight.

“The nature of Championship is that if you can win a couple of games back-to-back then it propels you, and equally if you don’t then you can go the other way with that,” said Coyle.

“We have to make sure that we’re at our best, and the period we’re entering into you know that you’re looking to pick up as many points as you can because it can elevate your position.

“Both teams will be going out to win the game, Blackpool will look at it as an opportunity for them, coming on the back of two wins, and equally it is an opportunity for us.

“I have the utmost respect for Blackpool and what they’ve done, but we have to make sure we look after ourselves.

“If individually and collectively we do our jobs, we have a great chance of winning.”

And Coyle believes that by Graham Alexander providing unlikely competition for leading goalscorer, it could prompt a reaction from the rest of the side.

“Pato won’t be best pleased that Grezza is the top league goalscorer, and I’m hoping that drives a few of them on to get above him,” he said.

“Long may it continue though, Chris McCann could have scored again (at Forest), Ade Akinbiyi was unlucky not to score, and Robbie Blake fizzed a few by the post, so we had chances.

“Steven Thompson did well, and I’m hoping we benefit from his play.”

The Clarets boss added: “Thommo had helped us a lot on Saturday, even from kick outs, after Pato had been up there himself. He can play up there, but it’s a big ask.

“When Pato plays it’s a certain type of ball you need to be playing down the sides, and obviously any kick-outs and what have you - as much as he’s brave and puts himself about - are going to come back against you, whereas Thommo, if he wasn’t winning them, he was a physical threat and the balls were dropping down.

“I think Wade Elliott got on the end of about four or five in the first half because of that. Then that gives us another dimension to our play because we know if we can get the ball in that final third we’ve got creative players.”