CREWE 3

BURNLEY 1

Blake pen 88

A COUPLE of Boxing Day blunders sent Burnley's Christmas spinning from "suicidal" to "shambolic".

Those two words, coming directly from the mouth of manager Stan Ternent, have been the over-riding soundbites of his last two press conferences.

But sometimes it's what is not said that can be most revealing. And I don't recall seeing the Burnley boss look as low as when trying to explain how the Clarets had followed up their "suicidal" Preston defeat by losing yet another game they controlled from first to last, and should have won at a canter.

Shambolic will have to do - but only because there are no more levels to which we can sink in the Dante's inferno that is Burnley's defence!

All the presents were supposed to have been opened 24 hours earlier. But somehow, the Clarets managed to smuggle a few more into Gresty Road in the season of goodwill to all men - even Railwaymen!

Outplayed and outfought in every department, just as North End had been six days earlier, you sensed that Crewe might sneak something if Ternent's troops did not turn all their early superiority into a lead.

And if I am getting pig sick of writing it, imagine how Ternent feels having to face the press every week with the same, sorry fable.

Burnley even benefited from a slice of luck as they survived an early penalty appeal, following Arthur Gnohere's hand ball, to control events before becoming masters of their own downfall.

The first chance came in only the fourth minute as Robbie Blake picked out Glen Little with a peach of a pass. The winger's cross was met on the full by Chaplow's lunge and the teenager could not believe his eyes as keeper Clayton Ince made a stunning point-blank save.

The ball broke instantly back to Little, who forced a second fine save from Ince with a curler from the corner of the box.

After that breathless start, you might have expected Crewe to take a deep breath and regroup, but Burnley were having none of it and Blake soon whistled another low drive into Ince's side netting.

Alex did briefly threaten as Luke Varney, one of those rare Dario Gradi buys from non-league, forced a fine save from Brian Jensen low down to his right.

Burnley were then forced into an early change in only the 17th minute following a hamstring injury to Little, who was beginning to find life tough against dogged 16-year-old right back Billy Jones.

But the change didn't knock the Clarets out of their cocky stride and, after Luke Chadwick stepped up from the bench, his persistence helped a loose ball to break to Blake for a shake and a shimmy and a whipped daisy-cutter that flew just wide.

Chaplow, who created Ian Moore's opener at Preston six days ago, then tried a similar strike from distance that once again burned Ince's fingertips.

And such was Burnley's confidence, even skipper Graham Branch strode up from central defence to fire in a similar effort with identical results.

This was by far the visitors best spell as they pegged the home side back, and both Dean West and Chaplow both saw on-target drives blocked by an increasingly desperate Alex defence.

But we all know the script by now and predictably, it was the home side that grabbed the lead seven minutes before half time through a calamitous cock-up from the unlikely boot of Tony Grant.

Gnohere's hacked clearance from Kenny Lunt's corner arced high into the air as it headed out for another flag kick - until Grant, so impressive recently, inexplicably kept the ball in play to gift it back to Lunt.

The resulting low cross still left Dean Ashton with it all to do, but his superb turn on a sixpence at the near post left everyone flat-footed to create the opening and a fierce left foot drive into the far corner did the rest.

The half time break did little to quell Burnley's attacking intent and West forced Ince into yet more action within 90 seconds of the restart.

But on 55 minutes, another of those Keystone Cops moments effectively turned Burnley's mountain into Krakatoa.

And Ternent could be forgiven for blowing his top at a moment of defending neither Gnohere or Branch will ever want to witness again.

Ashton's smart flick sent strike partner Steve Jones clear, but Gnohere nipped in to nick the ball off his toes. Unfortunately, Branch was back-pedalling and the ball clipped his heel, hit his back and spun off Gnohere perfectly for Jones to curl the ball past perplexed keeper Jensen from the edge of the box.

It was Crewe's second shot on target all afternoon. It could only happen to Burnley.

And shortly after came the proof that the Gods were truly smiling elsewhere as Ian Moore sat on the ball three yards from goal with a lifeline there for the taking.

Not enough? Okay then, how about Gnohere's 70th minute volley that smacked David Wright on the line before the Crewe skipper could blink.

Ternent tried to force fate himself by throwing on Mark McGregor for West and pushing Branch up top to leave just three at the back.

And two minutes from time came a glimmer of hope as Chadwick tumbled under Antony Tonkin's challenge.

And in-form Robbie Blake stepped up to rifle home his 14th of the season from the resultant penalty.

But the Gods weren't done just yet and, as Burnley committed men, Lunt's slide-rule pass sent Jones clear and the striker sealed the win.

It's getting repetitive and it's getting alarmingly predictable. The only hope is that it's not terminal.