IF Burnley don't go up then winger Glen Little will probably be rooting for Norwich City as for the second time this season he failed to finish the match against the Canaries.

At Carrow Road he pulled a hamstring late on and in the return on Saturday he lasted no more than eight minutes after an incident that had a major influence on the match.

Little had supplied the sixth minute corner that Gareth Taylor headed past former team-mate Paul Crichton to give the Clarets a lead at home for the first time since mid-December.

But within two minutes there was huge concern for the player's health after a sickening but accidental clash of heads with left-back Darren Kenton.

Manager Stan Ternent was one of the many people to rush on to the pitch to check on Little who was knocked unconscious and received eight minutes of treatment before being stretchered off to a standing ovation.

"It was from a goal kick and their left back and Glen jumped for the ball," said the Burnley boss. "It was completely accidental and their physio was straight on because it was in front of their area.

"When I got there he had his finger down his throat so perhaps he had swallowed his tongue. He was completely out but the medical team looked after him big style.

"He did come round and he was aware of things, he remembered the name of his missus."

Throughout the delay the remaining players wandered aimlessly around the pitch, jogged up and down to keep warm, knocked balls to each other and worried about the obviously serious injury to a fellow pro.

And having started the game so well, at a much better tempo than in the previous match against Birmingham City, it was the last thing Burnley needed.

On a pitch that Ternent labelled a disgrace the game completely deteriorated for a spell as neither side could pick up the pace of the game. Referee Peter Jones kept blowing for fouls and there was no flow to the game.

Having seen their rival's talisman carried off, Norwich then lost the inspirational Iwan Roberts midway through the first half but it was his replacement who was to tip the balance in favour of the Canaries.

Marc Libbra has not always delivered his best for Norwich since joining from Hibernian in the summer but he was a real handful for the Burnley backline.

He missed a couple of chances, was denied by a magnificent one handed save by Marlon Beresford but finally found the net in the 55th minute to score the equaliser. Steen Nedergaard, who produced the type of crosses that must have had Gareth Taylor salivating at the other end, delivered the ball into the six yard box and Libbra volleyed in from virtually the identical spot that Tommy Mooney scored from five days earlier.

It was a goal that was coming and prompted the increasing unrest among the home fans that so angered Ternent. He felt his side needed lifting but instead they were booed by a sizeable minority of the home fans.

The mood was not helped just after the equaliser when Kenton was lucky to stay on the pitch. He may have been blameless in the Little incident but he was lucky not to get a red card after pushing his hands into Taylor's face after fouling the striker on the touchline.

The fans nearest the incident were incensed and poor Taylor was baffled when he found that he got a yellow card to match Kenton's.

Norwich boss Nigel Worthington, who is clearly not from the Arsene Wenger school of management, conceded: "He raised his hands and the ref could have sent him off very easily.

"Thankfully he didn't but I took him off because I didn't want him sent off so I have not lost a good player in a couple of weeks."

Ternent knows all about losing key players but he did welcome skipper Steve Davis back to the starting line-up for the first time in five months.

He came in alongside the recalled Arthur Gnohere as on this occasion it was Ian Cox who was surprisingly left out of the 16 altogether.

And the partnership of the long time hero and the new one promised much for the future with Davis certainly enjoying playing alongside the Frenchman.

"I have played with Arthur in a three at the back but this was the first time as a pair," he said. "But Arthur is a good player who has got the potential to go on to great things. He has got pace, he is good on the ball and he is sharp."

Gnohere certainly showed all those attributes as he defended well against the Libbra inspired side as well as getting forward on a number of occasions. In the closing minutes he even produced a run to the by-line and a right foot cross that was cleared for a corner.

If Gnohere has become an instant hero, it is taking Robbie Blake a little longer. He did get his first start for the Clarets since his £1million move but still looked a little short in both thought and deed as he partnered Taylor up front.

The failure to get the goals that were flowing earlier in the season continues to be a worry for Ternent who bemoaned the fact that midfielders Kevin Ball and Paul Weller both squandered second half chances.

And that summed up their day as they suffered more than most from the vagaries of the pitch, being forced to deal with horrible bobbling balls and all too often miscuing passes as a result.

Given the concerns over the pitch and the home crowd it might be a good time for Burnley to take to the road again. Away games at the bottom two in the division offer the hope of six points and will then set everything up for the Lancashire derby with Preston North End in a fortnight.

What better time could there be to end the run of six games without a Turf triumph.

BURNLEY...1

Scorer: Taylor 6

NORWICH CITY...1

Scorer: Libbra 55

Attendance...14,679 at Turf Moor