ALL too often it is all too easy to attack a referee and blame him for a result.

Last night it was virtually impossible to look anywhere else!

Mark Cooper was taking charge of his second Clarets game of the season and he has now managed to dish out ten bookings to Burnley players.

The yellow card count was six-nil to the visitors and anyone would look at that and think Burnley had tried to hack their way to victory. The truth is there was hardly a malicious foul in the game and this was certainly not a case of the dirty half dozen.

And the manner in which Mark McGhee quipped with a smile: "I thought the ref had a great game," suggested he had some sympathy with his opposite number.

But Mr Cooper, who drives a car with a personalised number plate ending REF, is clearly happy to seek attention both on and off the field. He never looked happier than when reaching for his cards.

Burnley boss Stan Ternent was almost apoplectic after the match and his tirade may yet land him in hot water with the FA somewhere down the line. To be honest he did not seem to care and his players were equally bemused.

Gareth Taylor was one of the men put in the book and he was stunned by the card that will see him suspended for two matches having collected ten bookings this season, two from Mr Cooper.

That means he will be out of a potential FA Cup replay with Watford or, alternatively, miss the two home games against Leicester City and Grimsby.

"My last two bookings have come when the ball has been kicked at me when walking away from a free kick," he said.

"I was looking for a player to tell the ref to calm down but most of them were booked and could not risk another card."

For the record the other men to go into Mr Cooper's bulging book were Ian Cox, Paul Weller, Glen Little, Dean West and Tony Grant.

Ternent said: "I am sorry that I have had to talk about the ref," and at the final whistle it was easy to forget that the game is supposed to be about players.

And the key man on the night was Millwall striker Richard Sadlier. He has been out of action for virtually a year but returned to the side as a sub on Sunday.

He was back on the bench last night but it was his appearance in the second half that helped to turn the tide Millwall's way.

Burnley had looked comfortable with the first half lead that had been given to them by in form Ian Moore. He had been denied by keeper Tony Warner from close range, hooking the ball towards goal after a corner had reached him from a defender.

A couple of minutes later he was not to be kept out as he fired home having been involved in the move with both Alan Moore and Lee Briscoe. It was a goal that guaranteed Burnley extended to 15 the number of games in which they have found the net, Manchester United the last side to shut them out.

The home side had huffed and puffed but they did not look like blowing the Burnley house down until Sadlier came on to the scene and McGhee had no doubt he changed the game.

"I can't get him back in the side quickly enough," he said. "He did make a big difference in the second half. It had been tempting to stick him in from the start but I don't think that was fair, that would be hanging all our hopes on him.

"He has been out for a long time but I will get him back in as quickly as I can."

Unfortunately for Burnley he was involved last night. The defence with Drissa Diallo and Ian Cox again impressive, yes again, had stifled the usual threat of Steve Claridge, Paul Ifill and Steven Reid.

But within seconds of coming on Sadlier had twice looked threatening, the second time getting in a cross that David Livermore headed against the bar.

He continued to look lively but with time running out it looked like Burnley had weathered the storm. They had survived the threat of a free kick inside the box when Marlon Beresford was penalised for time wasting and they had coped with countless set-piece situations.

But with six minutes to go another ball into the box led to a scramble, left back Robbie Ryan was somehow involved and the ball broke to Sadlier who found the empty net.

Ternent was convinced it was offside but Sadlier was not complaining as he celebrated his first goal for more than 13 months and a third straight 1-0 away league win for Clarets was no longer on the cards.

The gap to Sadlier's second goal should have been only a few minutes as deep into stoppage time he met a cross with a close range header that Beresford held more comfortably than he ought to have done.

Burnley knew that they needed to win to keep up the pressure on the teams above them and wins for Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest have made it tougher to reach the top six.

But the run of unbeaten games in the capital has been extended to ten and they have now only lost one game in the last 14.

That is certainly form that is good enough to give them confidence as they prepare for the massive match against Watford on Sunday.

And, as far as Ternent is concerned, the good news is that the referee at Vicarage Road will not be Mark Cooper. It was clear that if he never sees him again, it will be far too soon.

MILLWALL 1

Scorer: Sadlier 84

BURNLEY 1

Scorer: I Moore 18

At The New Den Att: 6,045