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Clarets need home comforts Graham Alexander believes Burnley need to reclaim their patch when they take on Wolves at Turf Moor.

The Clarets' home form has been the bedrock of their season, accounting for all but one of the 24 points they have amassed so far in their maiden Barclays Premier League campaign.

Manchester United and Everton were defeated in the first two matches at Turf Moor this term and Burnley have only been beaten there three times in total since.

However, the latest of those losses was against rock-bottom crisis club Portsmouth and Brian Laws' team disappointed in front of their own fans again for the opening 45 minutes on Wednesday, falling behind to Stoke before saving face through David Nugent's second-half equaliser.

Currently 18th with nine fixtures remaining, Burnley need to rediscover their touch at home quickly if they are to save themselves from the drop.

The visit of Wolves - who are a place above the Clarets in the table on goal difference alone - would appear to provide them with the perfect opportunity, and Alexander has called upon his team-mates to take the game to their opponents from the first whistle.

"You can't wait for something to happen and then react to it, we've got to take the initiative and show that we are at home and this is our patch," Alexander said.

"We want to play how we play and we have to play with a good tempo and with all the qualities that we have got in our changing room.

"If we do that from minute one rather than minute 46, hopefully we will get the three points that we need." Alexander believes the team got too caught up in trying to mirror Stoke's tactics on Wednesday, but feels the second-half recovery gives them something to build on for the Wolves game.

"We are pleased that we turned it around from the first half because we didn't play very well," Alexander said.

"I think we got ourselves up physically and mentally for the battle against Stoke, but we forgot to play our own game - I was probably the biggest culprit of that.

"At half-time we spoke about what we had to do in the second half - pass the ball better and at a higher tempo - and we did that and got ourselves back into the game.

"It was a great goal (by Nugent) and we looked like we could go on to win it. It was a shame we couldn't play for another five or six minutes.

"But to finish the way we did was pleasing and hopefully we'll take that into Saturday's game." Top scorer Steven Fletcher could make his return from injury.

Fletcher, who has 11 goals this season, has missed the Clarets' last two matches after breaking his hand while on international duty with Scotland.

The game will almost certainly come too soon for Chris McCann to feature as he continues his recovery from a knee problem, while Steven Caldwell (groin) remains sidelined.

Meanwhile, Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is determined to stay stress-free despite his side's precarious position.

McCarthy cares passionately about Wanderers who currently lie 17th in the table - and only ahead of Burnley on goal difference - and is confident they will survive.

But the former Republic Of Ireland boss believes he will be no good to anyone - including his players - if he is uptight and agitated in the build-up to games.

McCarthy said: "I've learnt getting wound up about it is counter-productive. If it affects me, it affects other people doing their jobs.

"You see me on the sidelines. I kick every single ball.

"I am involved in it on a Saturday but me getting agitated now, and upset with everybody, is not going to make a blind bit of difference to it.

"When I was younger, I was more agitated but I learnt a long time ago it does you no favours. It doesn't mean I don't care.

"Don't go away thinking I am not concerned about it. Every minute of the day I am thinking `Can I do something different, better or change it?' "It is not an act. What you see is what you get." McCarthy could name an unchanged side for the fifth successive match and was delighted with his side's overall performance in the single goal reversal against champions Manchester United.

Burnley vs Wolverhampton

Last modified 22:06 13/03/10

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Brian Jensen is built like one of the huge mills that surround Turf Moor.

But unfortunately, this was one of those days when the Burnley goalkeeper simply seemed just as mobile.

From the moment that the Dane raced from his goalmouth early on, to flatten busy striker Kevin Doyle with a flying headbutt to the midriff that earned him a yellow card, the signs seemed ominous.

When Jensen failed to react quickly enough to a header from full-back Tyrone Mears, which was as ill-advised as it was weak, he allowed Wolves winger Matt Jarvis to skip around him and walk in the opening goal on 26 minutes.

And within the opening 60 seconds of the second half, Jensen again went down like a lumbering oak after Clarke Carlisle stuck out a foot to redirect a low drive from Adlene Guedioura that was going wide in to the bottom corner.

That meant it was game over, despite substitute Steven Thompson making the final 18 minutes compelling viewing by scoring with a header.

But Jensen will always be remembered as the keeper who did more than most to take battling Burnley back to the top flight for the first time in 33 years. Although he’s finding out the hard way that the Premier League is an unforgiving place.

And the same can be said for manager Brian Laws and the rest of his Clarets.

Laws was mercilessly jeered by home fans for swapping Chris Eagles and Andre Bikey for Robbie Blake and Thompson on the hour-mark.

But his changes almost worked, as Graham Alexander and Blake both went close in the closing stages to show that Burnley won’t be going down without a real fight.

The Clarets have only taken four points from eight matches since Laws replaced Owen Coyle, so they are truly ensconced in the bottom three.

“We still have eight games left, and it only takes one win to get ourselves back in with a chance,” said Laws.

“This was a body blow, but we can’t let the disappointment destroy the rest of the season. I’ve heard Mick McCarthy moan about his luck, but he can’t have that complaint tonight because I didn’t think we deserved to lose.”

Yet McCarthy travelled back down the M6 insisting it was time that fortune finally favoured his braves.

“I kept telling the players that our luck would turn,” claimed McCarthy. “If we kept playing that well, we would get what we deserved.”

After getting lucky with Jarvis’ opener, they were relieved to see David Nugent’s volley hit the crossbar.

And when Carlisle inadvertently directed Guedioura in to his own net, once again it was Laws cursing the footballing heavens.

But Burnley found a spark when Blake was introduced, and the striker hit the post.

Then Thompson was in the right place to divert Alexander’s mishit volley home.