Clarets boss Stan Ternent might be tempted to give all his players new contracts if this is how they respond.

Arthur Gnohere and Glen Little both agreed extensions to their current deals last week and they got the goals that sent Burnley four points clear at the top of the first division.

The French defender struck the opening and closing goals, his first for the club, while Little found the net for the eighth time this season. With none of the other clubs near the top of the table taking three points yesterday's victory completed a perfect weekend for the Clarets.

No wonder the 5,000 fans sang themselves hoarse with a festive chorus of "Dingle Bells" in response to taunts from the North End supporters.

Gnohere's stock could hardly get any higher in terms of popularity among the fans. David Healy may have been the sponsor's man of the match but the travelling support had no doubt it was Arthur as they chanted his name near the end.

After each goal he lit up the ground with a broad grin brighter than a house covered in Christmas lights. Little said before the game that he had come from nowhere but he is playing a big part in making sure that Burnley is a club going somewhere - hopefully the Premier League.

Just the mention of his name brings a smile to his manager's lips and Ternent was delighted with his double.

"The first goal was a lovely delivery from Lee Briscoe but his second was his trademark," he explained. "He played a one two and surged into the area."

As he collected Alan Moore's brilliant flick there was still the small matter of getting the ball beyond keeper David Lucas. But somehow when he burst through, all strength and power, you knew he would finish it.

It was a goal worthy of winning any game and this was a special match. The quality was not always the highest but it was riveting stuff, a real blood and thunder derby game that could not be spoiled by an erratic refereeing performance from Roy Pearson.

Ternent's opposite number David Moyes was delighted with the way his team came back from two goals down but he was bemused at how they got into such a poor position.

In truth Burnley were slow out of the blocks and it was against the run of play that Gnohere and Little scored. Nik Michopoulos had already denied David Healy once and the Preston striker repeatedly found space down the right flank.

But Gnohere touched home the opener on 17th minute thanks to Briscoe's great ball into the danger zone before Little collected an early Christmas present from Lee Cartwright before producing a superbly curled shot beyond Lucas.

Three minutes later North End were back in it as Paul McKenna lashed home a stunning shot from the edge of the area after Michopoulos failed to gather a free kick.

Then in the 33rd minute the officials made their first key intervention, the linesman flagging for Michopoulos handling outside the area. It wasn't and it is to be hoped that video evidence will see the subsequent booking scrubbed out.

In the event the free kick was wasted but five minutes before the break North End were level. Healy again got the ball in space and Graham Branch was adjudged to have brought him down although he did look to have got a bit of the ball as well as the player.

Michopoulos got a hand to Graham Alexander's spot kick but he could not keep it out.

A minute later Burnley should have been back in the lead when Ian Moore had one of the misses of the season. His namesake Alan produced an impudent chip that was touched on to the bar by Lucas and Moore only had to nod home with the goal gaping. He headed down but Lucas somehow kept it out with his legs, a great save but a bad miss.

It could have proved very costly when Healy had a great chance just 16 seconds into the second half. He got clean through on goal but Michopolous produced a great save to touch his low shot away from goal.

The Greek stopper was then forced to make a more comfortable save to keep out a shot from Jon Macken.

Eight minutes after that stop it was Gnohere who won the game although the action did not stop there.

A number of players found their way into the book and Colin Murdock was lucky not to see a red card when he fouled Little a couple of minutes after he had been booked for a lesser offence.

Having started with Moore as a lone striker, Ternent introduced Gareth Taylor and he was the last player to have cause to complain about the officials.

In stoppage time he muscled his way past Chris Lucketti and lobbed what would have been his first goal with his feet this season. But the linesman flagged, the goal was disallowed and he was booked for dissent.

At the other end Steve Basham, who came on as an early sub for hamstrung Richard Cresswell missed a great chance to earn the home side and stretch their unbeaten run to 12 games.

But instead it is Burnley who now have an eight match unbeaten run, winning six and drawing two of those games. The force is undoubtedly with them and the message to the rest of the first division is "Catch us if you can". PRESTON NE...2 Scorers: McKenna 28,

Alexander 40 BURNLEY...3 Scorers: Gnohere 17,61, Little 25 Attendance...20,370