WHAT price could you put on Graham Branch's value to Burnley?

Mr Versatile was worth his weight in gold late last season, coming up with two priceless strikes in successive relegation battles to steer the Clarets towards First Division safety.

And the makeshift striker has wasted no time convincing new boss Steve Cotterill that he is now more precious than platinum.

Cotterill's worst nightmare came true on the day they finally kicked off their Austrian tour friendlies.

No Ian Moore, injured back in Blighty 10 days ago, and maddeningly, as Cotterill made the final touches to his plans to face Wacker Berghausen, no Robbie Blake!

The Clarets talisman added a hamstring strain to the knock on his calf, leaving the manager without his first choice strike force in the penultimate game before they kick off for real against Sheffield United a week on Saturday.

But cometh the hour, cometh the man who could yet save cash-strapped Cotterill a dip into the transfer market to supplement his attack with a strapping, old-fashioned centre forward.

Against the German Bundesliga Two side, Branch made himself a real menace, scoring the opening goal, almost adding a second with another fierce header and then smacking the underside of the crossbar with a sublime curler.

And all this from a player without a recognised anchor role in Cotterill's new-look Burnley side.

"It's good to have versatile players who don't moan or groan wherever you put them," Cotterill later insisted.

"Graham has been like a breath of fresh air since I've been here from day one and let's hope he continues because we are going to need players with that versatility."

Branch operated as a lone striker in the early evening Austrian sunshine - a far cry from the sodden pitches of the Clarets HQ an hour's drive into the mountains.

Behind him, Cotterill deployed a five-man midfield with Lee Roche again anchoring the right and Matt O'Neill to the left of workmanlike triumvirate Tony Grant, Richard Chaplow and Micah Hyde.

The revamped back four pleasingly looks far more solid with three new faces alongside Mo Camara.

Michael Duff is perhaps still feeling his way into the side after jumping two divisions, but in the centre John McGreal stole the honours from the equally domineering Frank Sinclair.

Cotterill added: "The system we have played is very flexible and we are creating chances.

"You are quite solid in the middle of the park, you release wide men and you have the security of a man screening the two centre backs.

"To be fair it's a new system, but we have played twice now and the players have practised it very well."

Burnley settled the better of the two sides and took the lead following a move that emphasised Cotterill's masterplan.

Grant slid Camara in down the right flank and the full back's cross was rewarded with a powerful Branch header that German keeper Uwe Gospodarek spilled clumsily into the bottom corner.

Branch missed an almost identical chance from the opposite flank shortly afterwards, this time seeing his firm header bounce down and up and over the crossbar from Roche's delicious delivery.

And the Clarets emergency striker was denied by the woodwork on his third attempt, curling a beauty round Gospodarek only to be denied by the bar.

Chaplow was also inches away with a bobbling free kick. But with only one outfield substitute at Cotterill's disposal - first team coach Mark Yates no less - there was always the fear a typically physical German side would lift their game after the break with fresh faces and legs.

And so it proved as, after pressing Burnley onto the back foot, they levelled in the 65th minute after Tom Geissler capitalised on Camara's slip to rifle a volley past helpless substitute keeper Brian Jensen.