Taylor ready to sample new derby at Ewood

Matthew Taylor vies for possession with Forests Nelson Oliveira

The 33-year-old has featured six times in the South Coast derby as a Portsmouth player against Southampton and twice in the Dockers derby where he represented West Ham in their rivalry against Millwall.

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“It will be a new one,” he said. “I haven’t experienced it yet. It’s a bigger game than the Bolton game. It will be a good game, an early kick-off and hopefully it will go along without any trouble as well.

Matt Taylor featured for Portsmouth in their derby against Southampton

“I’m sure it can’t be any more hostile than going to St Mary’s as a Portsmouth player. It will be good fun. It’s the games I think as a footballer you want to take part in, in the big games, especially the older you get.

“When you’re younger you don’t appreciate it as much because everything happens there and then and you live within that minute.

“For me personally now I’m older I appreciate everything a hell of a lot more now because these are the best days of your life and you need to enjoy them, but you only enjoy them when you’re playing well and winning so hopefully we can continue that.”

The Clarets go in to the fixture having accumulated 20 points from nine fixtures but the former Hammer has warned his team-mates that they’ll need to control their emotions if they are to build on that tally.

Taylor, who netted a sublime late equaliser against Forest at the City Ground midweek, said: “It’s a local derby and they almost argue that form goes out of the window in these derbies because emotion takes over.

“What we’ve got to do is control our emotions because from my experience they are high-tempo affairs, quality sometimes can lapse, but if we bring our quality and work-rate we’ve got a good chance.

“In these games, from my experience, players don’t need any extra motivation for these games.

“It will be a rip-roaring atmosphere, hopefully we will sell our allocation and give them something to shout about.”

After scoring on his first start of the season, he added: “It was lovely to see it fly in. I’ve enjoyed it this year, I’ve been able to play an important part in weighing in with some goals and hopefully there are more to come.”

• Match report: Blackburn Rovers 1, Burnley 2

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