IT WAS a game that Burnley boss Stan Ternent had labelled a "must win", so it was with a mixture of relief and satisfaction that at the end he could say: "Well, we've won it."

His assessment that it was not a pretty game was right on the button but in terms of collecting the three points it was at least pretty effective.

The tenth away win of the season has ensured that the chase for the play-offs remains in their own hands and now the top six spot can be secured by an improvement on their own Turf.

Ternent knew that he would have to make at least one change for the clash with the bottom side, Dean West missing with a one match ban, but he once again showed that he is no respecter of reputations as he axed a couple of key men.

"Alan Moore and Arthur Gnohere weren't injured, I just left them out," he said. "I picked the team I felt was right for the day.

"It is not a rotational system but the proof of the pudding is in the eating."

Neither men were even on the bench, just as Ian Cox was left out of the 16 a week earlier for the clash against Norwich City. Before that Gnohere had been left out against Birmingham City.

The good news for the manager is that the selection process is going to get even harder as two men who have barely figured this season came in and did a fine job against the Hatters, Mark McGregor at right back and Mitchell Thomas on the other side of the defence.

When McGregor made the switch from Wrexham last summer he can hardly have expected he would be waiting until the second weekend of March for his league debut. The consistency of West at right back has made it impossible for him to break into the team but he has worked hard as captain of the reserves and he clearly relished being flung into the heat of the promotion battle.

Any debutant wants to get a good bit of play under his belt early on and that is what happened for the 25-year-old. In the 15th minute he delivered a superb cross from the right that deserved a goal but was nodded narrowly wide by Gareth Taylor.

McGregor was later to be involved in the crucial first goal as it was his ball into the box that Ian Moore flicked on allowing Taylor to take advantage of a mix-up between player manager Carlton Palmer and his goalkeeper Andy Dibble.

Thirteen minutes from time McGregor made way for Brad Maylett as Ternent switched to three at the back but it was to a slap on the back from his manager.

"Mark McGregor did very well," said Ternent. "He is a good player who can play anywhere across the back."

He is now only five games away from making 250 league appearances and he certainly did his prospects of reaching that milestone sooner rather than later no harm at all.

The figure that Thomas is eyeing is the 600 mark and had it not been for injury he might well have passed that total already this season. Saturday's game was his first start in six months and only his second of the season but he was in typically reliable form.

It was the 37-year-old who was elbowed by Jon Daly in the 64th minute, the youngster becoming the ninth County player to be red carded this season and fourth in five games.

Like McGregor he deserved to see a fine cross converted, his second half delivery gifting Kevin Ball a chance but like Taylor from McGregor he was wasteful.

That came seven minutes after Burnley had taken the lead and given the lack of goals from the side this year it may have proved a costly miss. Ian Moore, who ran his socks off at his former stamping ground, had just missed a good chance after Paul Weller had been denied by a great Dibble save and he went close again with a fierce shot following a brilliant run.

One goal is never enough to put you in the comfort zone and skipper Steve Davis had called on his team mates to lift the burden from Taylor.

His central defensive partner Cox must have been listening because he put the match beyond ten-man County seven minutes from time with a simply wonderful goal.

Cox had struck his first of the season as a sub at Watford last month but his second was something special. There looked to be little on as he collected the ball near the edge of County's box but he skipped past a couple of challenges before lashing home the ball from 20 yards.

"Ian Cox struck it very well," said Ternent. "He used to play outside right and centre forward when he was at Crystal Palace so maybe that is where the goal came from."

There was still time for Luke Beckett to underline the importance of the second goal when he did well to keep possession and then shoot against the post in stoppage time. It was the only worthwhile effort from the doomed home side but could have proved damaging and embarrassing in equal measures.

Even when they had 11 men they did not look like denying Marlon Beresford his first clean sheet since returning to the club on loan. It was only the second shut-out of the year, the previous one coming at Wimbledon two months earlier.

County battled hard and had clearly been buoyed by beating Bradford in midweek but any side with serious hopes of getting to the Premier League had to beat one certain to be playing second division football next season.

That was just one reason it was a must win game. Chances are there will be more of those in the next few weeks and Clarets fans will just hope that the winning habit is one that their team will keep.

STOCKPORT...0

BURNLEY...2

Scorers: Taylor 51, Cox 83

At Edgeley Park : attendance...6,410