Morrison's late winner

BURNLEY1

Cook 13

CRYSTAL PALACE 2

Forssell 74, Morrison 90

WHILE Manchester United have tapped into the American market to extend their already booming business empire, Burnley might like to consider a Scandinavian spin-off on the back of the television treat they helped serve up here.

A handful of the northern European countries brought up on a diet of English league action had this game screened live into their homes and must have enjoyed every minute of it.

Even the weather was suitable for Eskimos.

The Clarets and Crystal Palace served up the kind of football that had the likes of Norway drooling before their boys gave us "one hell of a beating" when Margaret Thatcher and Ron Greenwood were filling the top jobs in England.

There were more chances than on a Monopoly board and no little blood and thunder, mostly surrounding the less than subtle Jamie Pollock, all played out on a muddy pitch -- swamped in parts before the game by an apparent leak from the Turf Moor pitch covers.

It was gripping stuff but the entertainment value was of no consolation to a Burnley side that ended up empty-handed on their own patch for the fourth time in five League games thanks to Clinton Morrison's injury-time winner.

After 74 minutes the Clarets were contemplating a hugely welcome second win of the year thanks to Paul Cook's early strike.

But within 60 seconds of Steve Davis hitting the underside of the bar, Palace had levelled through Mikael Forssell and then to their credit looked for the second goal which finally broke Burnley hearts.

"It's extremely frustrating to lose at such a late stage of the match," admitted Clarets boss Stan Ternent. "I think it was a pretty open game of football but from our supporters' point of view they won't be happy that we've lost the game, a game that we should never have lost.

"That's what makes it such a difficult job managing football clubs. I felt we did all right and we should have had something out of that game.

"It's very frustrating for the players, the fans and for me as the manager but I'm very confident that we'll bounce back from it and we'll maintain our First Division status."

For Burnley it was another case of what might have been.

Palace were a threat in front of goal all afternoon and Clarets keeper Nik Michopoulos again had to be at his impressive best to keep them at bay.

But the home side also attacked with venom thanks in particular to Glen Little and Paul Weller and had Davis's effort been two inches lower then the points would almost certainly have been theirs.

"I think there were a lot of chances in the match but if you play exciting football sometimes it doesn't win football matches. We did okay again and we had enough chances to win the match.

"But the difference between success and failure is a very, very fine line and that one that hit the underside of the bar and came out - if that goes in it's 2-0 and the game's finished," Ternent added.

No-one would have begrudged Palace some reward for their positive intent, summed up by the ever-dangerous Forssell, but Burnley must be kicking themselves for letting another result slip from their grasp.

Having survived a couple of late scares after Forsell had made it 1-1 they lost possession once too often and when Gray's fierce drive was parried by Michopoulos, Morrison was on hand to head home the clincher.

As a result, Burnley have now lost seven of their last nine games as they struggle towards the manager's safety target.

I still can't see any way that they will get sucked into the relegation dog-fight but to avoid any discomfort they need to start turning some more of their positive performances into points.

Defensively the Clarets are shipping too many goals but at the other end they also need to be more ruthless around the penalty area.

For all Little's brilliance and a spell of domination after half-time, suspect looking keeper Matt Gregg wasn't tested nearly enough as too many promising openings flickered out at the crucial moment.

Palace were wasteful themselves, although Michopoulos was still the busier of the two keepers as he saved early on from Morrison, Forssell and Pollock either side of Cook's calmly taken goal when the midfielder elegantly passed a lovely Little pull-back into the bottom corner.

Ian Cox also had chances, one of which was inadvertently blocked by Andy Payton, while Ian Moore did force Gregg into a save on the stroke of half-time.

Burnley maintained the momentum after the break bar one scare at the other end when Michopoulos spared Graham Branch's blushes over an under-hit back-pass.

But despite their superiority the Clarets couldn't add a second as Gregg thwarted Payton and from the rebound Davis hit the bar in the game's defining moment.

Immediately Forssell tapped in Gray's cross and Palace, with fresh legs on either wing, poured forward on the break in search of a winner that came their way two minutes into added time.

QUOTE: " It's very frustrating for the players, the fans and for me as the manager but I'm very confident that we'll bounce back from it and we'll maintain our First Division status. " Stan Ternent, Burnley manager Palace raidersP GOING CLOSE: Burnley striker Andy Payton is denied by Crystal Palace keeper Matt Greg at Turf Moor poliver@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk TURF MOORE: Forward Ian Moore holds the ball up