Branch supplies a fairy-tale finish

And doesn't it make damn good reading?

More intriguing than any John Le Carre novel, tighter than a Tarantino script and, hopefully, a fairy tale ending worthy of Hans Christian Anderson.

Naturally, any such book is woven around the fluctuating fortunes of a central character -- and at Turf Moor one such figure stands tall.

Graham Branch is as complex a character as any Booker Prize-winning author could dream up.

A man who will openly admit to battling his own demons and a footballer who craves the comfort of a consoling word or an arm thrown around his shoulder in times of crisis.

Branch has endured all this and more this season -- often singled out as the villain while suffering a steep learning curve at the heart of a bruised and battered defence.

Yet his unflinching desire to put things right has always burned bright.

Not once has the Clarets skipper refused to face a media grilling on the back of a costly error.

Never has he shirked the responsibility that comes with being thrown into battle while visibly fighting a crisis of confidence.

But everything comes to he who waits.

And in the space of the last seven days, Branch has finally been the deserving recipient of some long-overdue fortune.

Against Wimbledon, the outpouring of emotion was there for all to see as he celebrated his crucial opening goal with a headlong, Jurgen Klinsmann dive towards some of the supporters who have spat venom his way.

Saturday was the day bridges were finally rebuilt.

So little separated Burnley and Derby, both in terms of league placings and in personnel.

The scene was set for a hero to emerge and Branch chose his moment with sublime timing.

Any emergency striker might be forgiven for not chasing down a ball he has no divine right to win.

But with 42 minutes of this horribly tense affair gone, Ian Moore's replacement chose to do exactly that, hunting down Mark McGregor's directionless punt upfield.

Derby's Youl Mawene, his voluminous hair resembling a bust mattress, could have enjoyed a nap and still been favourite to tidy things up.

But Branch somehow robbed the dozing defender, instantly switched the ball to his unfavoured right foot and bent a beauty under County keeper Lee Grant.

Okay, so the stopper might still have stopped it. But who cares?

The script was written and suddenly the good folk of Burnley had a new hero to wake up to.

There might yet be a twist in the tale, with one point still required to finally allow people to put up the bunting and crack open the champagne.

But surely now, after all we have been through, Walsall cannot spoil the party by winning both of their remaining games.

Anything less then a victory at play-off chasing Crystal Palace next weekend and Stan Ternent's men are finally, and officially, safe.

And that being the case, Turf Moor will be in party mood for the final day showdown with Sunderland.

However, they would have to go some to better the atmosphere created on Saturday, when the biggest crowd of the season raised their own game to help the Clarets cause.

There were understandably hairy moments, none more so than when Brian Jensen flung himself down to his left mid-way through the second half to deny Marcus Tudgay with a stupendous save.

But Derby too had their great escapes as the drama unfolded and news of Walsall's demise filtered through.

County really should have added to Burnley's nerves inside the first minute, when Ian Taylor rose unchallenged to headed Adam Bolder's corner wide.

But the action soon swung to the other end and, after David May rattled the post from a Robbie Blake corner, McGregor saw his headed follow-up brilliantly tipped over by Grant.

Blake seemed certain to open the scoring in the 20th minute following terrific wing play by Mo Camara.

The Guinean overlapped and delivered a killer low ball to the far post where Blake had a tap-in, only for Richard Jackson to appear from nowhere and clear the danger.

It was breathless stuff and Burnley had a real let off when Spaniard Manel skied his effort from six yards with just Jensen to beat following a lightening break.

Manel headed another easy effort wide and Leon Osman found Jensen's midriff as County continued to threaten.

But within minutes, Turf Moor erupted as Branch struck against the run of play.

If anything, that only wound Derby up more and they began the second half by pressing Burnley deeper into their own half.

Now, after trading blows for 45 minutes, it became a game of cat and mouse and the Clarets looked to drain Derby in the searing heat and catch them on the break.

It almost worked as Branch was twice denied by Grant following more excellent wing play by Camara, who had only just denied Paul Peschisolido when clean through.

Jensen's breathtaking save from Tudgay was yet another warning shot across the bows.

And when the Dane was finally beaten by Tudgay's flick with only eight minutes remaining, Richard Chaplow was beautifully placed on the line to hack the ball to safety.

By now, Derby knew it was not to be their day and so it proved.

Burnley players and fans greeted the final whistle with clenched fists alike.

A traumatic season is tantalisingly nearing its conclusion.

The history books will surely show a happy ending.

BURNLEY 1

Branch 42

DERBY 0

Turf Moor Att: 16,189