Clarets

HEAD START: Frank Sinclair opened his account for Burnley with a header

ROW: Burnley captain Robbie Blake disagrees with the referee

BURNLEY 1

1860 MUNICH 1

THE circus arrived in Freilassing at the same time as Burnley.

And if the German equivalent of Corgi Chipperfield was searching for new acts, he could have done worse than check out the local football ground!

For Munich 1860's cocky youngsters performed more comic moments than Charlie Caroli, constantly diving to the ground and play-acting to antagonise and frustrate the Clarets in the second and final game of their Austrian training trip.

As an exercise in discipline, it couldn't have been better. But as a spectacle their ridiculous antics, swallowed whole by fusspot FIFA referee Mr Albracht, spoiled what otherwise might have been an entertaining Anglo-German affair.

Manager Steve Cotterill will have learned bucket loads about the character of his side in the face of such adversity.

But in truth, he will probably have learned little more from a disjointed performance that owed much to the hard work put in on the training ground over the past month.

The Clarets looked a little leggy, perhaps understandably in searing early evening heat.

And a game bereft of goalscoring opportunities only really came to life once Frank Sinclair had powerfully headed his first Burnley goal with just nine minutes remaining.

Rattled, 1860 struck back two minutes later when Brian Jensen failed to hold onto a far post header from giant substitute Lukasz Szukala - all 6ft 6in of him!

In the end 1-1 was just about right, and the Clarets arrived back in England last night with pride intact after a fruitful bonding trip and two honourable draws against typically efficient German opposition.

And there were certainly plus points for the 250 or so Clarets fans that travelled to this German backwater.

Ian Moore eased himself back into action with 75 minutes after Graham Branch surrendered to a stiff back.

Micah Hyde showed exactly why Cotterill swooped to sign him with a terrific midfield display alongside Tony Grant, who gave way late on with a minor ankle injury.

But it was the defence that gave most cause for optimism. Sinclair was a menacing presence in the middle alongside John McGreal, who cruised through another game without putting a foot wrong and already looks like the steal of the summer.

And despite the late equaliser, the Clarets again looked pretty solid at the back.

It's all a far cry from last season, when the back line cracked under pressure far too often and ended up shipping some horrendous goals.

With the majority of Cotterill's signings so far being recruited to shore up the defence, it may well be that, until he can add to his numbers, Burnley lack the same cutting edge as last season.

Moore and Robbie Blake already look like being relied upon to come up with the goods without the assistance of an out-and-out winger, thanks to a tighter, narrower midfield unit and Grant being deployed to protect the back four.

But what Clarets fan wouldn't sacrifice a few chances to improve upon the second worst defensive record in the division last year?

1860, who showed they could play when they were not resorting to play acting, tested that defence to the full with constant probing.

But Danny Coyne remained untroubled in the first 45 minutes and half-time sub Jensen came to the rescue immediately from the restart with a terrific parry from Marcel Richter.

Burnley had suffered an early scare when Sinclair suffered a cut to the eye in an aerial clash, but he returned with two stitches intact to take centre stage late in the game.

Matt O'Neill bamboozled the 1860 right back and crossed for patched-up Sinclair to bullet a header past keeper Thomas Gebauer.

Sadly, the Clarets couldn't hold on for a morale-boosting win and an overdue clean sheet.

But as one fan quipped at the final whistle: "At least we're still unbeaten in Europe!"

Burnley: Coyne (Jensen 45), Duff, Camara (O'Neill 55), McGreal, Sinclair, Grant (Yates 71), Chaplow, Hyde, Roche. Branch (Moore 17), Blake.

1860 Munich (starting): Gebauer, Ortelib, Schafer, Janker, Kokocinski, Worle, Jorg, Holzer, Adler, Richter, Pickel.