Teddy eyes Turf Moor triumph

Ten seasons ago, West Ham United recorded their last league win at Burnley.

The Hammers' hero that day was none other than Teddy Sheringham, who converted Marlon Harewood's 83rd-minute cross to give the visitors a 1-0 Championship victory.

The success helped West Ham to maintain their fraught challenge for a Play-Off position, which ultimately ended in a sixth-place finish, victory over Preston North End and promotion to the Premier League.

"I remember I put it through the defender's [on-loan Bolton Wanderers player and current England international Gary Cahill] legs on the line, which was a bit cheeky really!" the 48-year-old correctly recalled. "It seemed at the time it was the only place I could put the ball.

"Going away to Burnley, it was a tough game and it was great to get a result and obviously great to get on the scoresheet again."

Nearly a decade later, attacking coach Sheringham and his colleagues will return to Turf Moor for a Barclays Premier League meeting with the newly-promoted Clarets.

As it was a decade ago, a visit to Burnley's home ground of 131 years offers a different type of challenge to that posed at the giant modern stadia used by many of the Barclays Premier League's biggest clubs.

While the surroundings may be more traditional, Sheringham said West Ham's players should concentrate fully on the job in hand - winning the football match.

"That is what has worked for them," he said. "I know Sean Dyche, his assistant Ian Woan and first-team coach Tony Loughlan up there and they are good lads and they will get that to work in their favour.

"They will tell their lads that we are southern softies who won't want it and that we'll be coming up there to a small wooden dressing room and all be moaning and getting on each other's nerves.

"They use that to their advantage but we've got to counter-act that, roll up our sleeves and grind out a result. If we do that, then we've got a chance of coming away with a win."

One further challenge that West Ham will have to overcome at Burnley is the home side's returning striker Danny Ings, who is expected to return to action after a hamstring injury.

"His return is a massive boost for them," Sheringham confirmed, "but we all know what it is like when you come back from injury and you've been out for a while - it takes time to get going and let's hope it takes him time to get going and he comes good in a couple of weeks, once this game is out of the way!"