STAN Ternent has never been short of a few words.

But a damning national newspaper headline and a spot of tape - gaffer tape, naturally - was all he needed in the dressing room to gear the Clarets up for the cup.

'Burnley flops to Curle up and die' screamed the headline from the newspaper that urged punters to back the Stags at 15/8, adding: 'Ternent's men have lost their last four matches and training ground bust-ups between the manager and players speaks volumes about team harmony - or lack of it.'

As team talks go it was manna from heaven - and the players duly hit all the right notes to emphasise the yawning gulf in class between Burnley and their lofty, muscle-flexing Third Division opponents.

Make no mistake, this was a total mis-match as Ternent's troops made a mockery of those hollow pre-match predictions.

Ian Moore carried on his love affair with the FA Cup third round with another couple of goals to steal the meaningful headlines.

But just as important was the much-maligned defence, which, after three changes, finally stood tall to notch up only a second clean sheet in 20 games and provide the platform to a perfect start to 2004.

Happy new years don't come much happier than this!

Right from referee Phil Prosser's first whistle - and boy did we get used to that during the afternoon! - Burnley were first to every ball, carving out endless chances against a Town defence seemingly hell-bent on self-destruction by holding a tight line 40 yards from goal.

That naive tactic might work at the bottom of the league ladder, but against jet-heeled Moore, the pace of Luke Chadwick and the fleet-footed Robbie Blake, it quickly became laughable.

It took first time boss Curle 42 painful minutes to realise the futility of the situation as he surrendered a midfielder for a defender to stem the flow.

But by then, Moore had struck his first goal and there was only ever going to be one outcome.

Against many of their First Division opponents, the Clarets need to work the ball hard and constantly probe to create any worthwhile openings.

A healthy goals-for column suggests they have been doing that with gusto for the past five months. Against Mansfield, it took a lot less time to realise a simple ball threaded through the yellow-shirts like a hot knife through butter.

Robbie Blake found himself in the clear after only three minutes, but he delayed to cut back on his right foot and the early chance was gone.

Moore was next to spurn a chance before Chadwick really should have made the breakthrough.

Blake sent Moore speeding clear down the right and a succulent low cross left the on-loan Manchester United winger with all the net to aim at before he picked out keeper Kevin Pilkington from a matter of yards.

Fifteen minutes in, it was getting repetitive as Richard Chaplow opened up the Stags defence for Moore to home in on goal and drill a low effort across goal and just wide of Pilkington's goal.

The Burnley bench began to hold their heads in their hands in frustration as these chances came and went with the alarming regularity that had cursed them so much in past weeks.

And it would perhaps have been typical of their luck if Prosser had pointed to the spot when Mark McGregor, returning to the heart of the defence for Graham Branch, made a perfect last-ditch tackle to deny Iyseden Christie.

But such was the Clarets superiority, even David May popped up in the box with a low cross that keeper Pilkington gratefully grabbed for a breather.

And on the half hour he was finally beaten as Blake fed overlapping right back Jay McEveley. His sweet cross was met by Moore and with a flex of the neck muscles, the ball squeezed home off the far post via Pilkington's weak-wristed attempt to save the day.

It was the first time the Clarets had taken the lead in a game for a month, and, as against Sheffield United, they showed a steely resolve to hang on to it.

Their cause was helped by Prosser, who took objection to Jamie Clarke's clumsy barge on Brian Jensen five minutes before half time to show the left back a harsh straight red card.

And Prosser incurred more wrath from the home side soon after when he disallowed Rhys Day's toe-poke for pushing elsewhere in the box.

Jensen was tested for the only time in the entire match six minutes after the break as Town's top scorer, Liam Lawrence, saw his firm header tipped over by the Dane.

And the sour spot of the afternoon soon followed when McEveley let out a yell of pain before crumpling in a heap near the dug-outs while innocently trying to keep the ball in play.

The dislocated kneecap sustained in his first Burnley start undoubtedly ends a brief spell at Turf Moor in what is another crushing blow for Ternent, who had worked the oracle to tie up a three-month loan for the Blackburn starlet.

Despite the setback though, Burnley remained in cruise control to wrap up the tie 17 minutes from time. Moore, who had a constant running battle with defender Luke Dimech, teased the Maltese international once too often and was unceremoniously dumped on the turf as he raced for goal.

Last man Dimech had to see red and, from the resulting Robbie Blake free kick that Pilkington spilled, Moore gobbled up the rebound for the eighth goal in his last four FA Cup third round ties.

Stupidly Chaplow, booked just before the second goal, then saw red himself after needlessly kicking the ball away from a Mansfield free kick.

But it would be churlish to be too critical following a good days work. Hopefully now, the bookies will tip Crystal Palace for victory next week because everyone knows you shouldn't throw stones in glass houses!

MANSFIELD 0

BURNLEY 2

I Moore 30, 73

Field Mill. Att: 8,290