Revenge is sweet!

THERE may have been nothing at stake as far as points or cup places were concerned.

But after seeing his side beat a team that had put 11 goals past Burnley in two of their last three meetings, Clarets boss Stan Ternent could have been excused for asking Joe Royle for some of his whisky back to raise a toast.

Ternent gave the City chief a bottle after the game and while Royle won't be looking to drown his sorrows at this stage of his preparations for life in the Premiership, he conceded that Burnley had been more up for it in an opening 45 minutes which saw them carve out an impressive 2-0 lead.

"They are going to be. We have beaten them six and five over the last couple of seasons and you could say it meant a bit more to them.

"But I'm pleased we at least stepped it up in the second half," said Royle.

Lee Peacock pulled a goal back after 52 minutes and Royle felt his top-flight newcomers could have earned a draw.

But with Paul Crichton making an excellent late block from Peacock and Steve Davis keeping out Shaun Wright-Phillips' follow-up it was Burnley who gained the morale-boosting win.

And on the basis of their first-half showing in particular it was a result they earned.

Ternent started with the 3-5-2 line-up that he may well favour when the real business starts in just over a week's time and the Clarets immediately looked at home.

Building on what they started late on against Newcastle, Burnley moved up a gear in terms of penetration as Andy Cooke and Phil Gray struck up a useful partnership up front.

The pair combined for Gray to claim a cracking opening goal on the half-hour and 11 minutes later John Mullin, adding to the attacking threat by breaking forward from midfield, claimed a well executed second. Burnley played some enterprising football and where they had run into dead ends two nights earlier, against City there was invariably a end product.

Royle may need transfer target Ugo Ehiogu, as well as the injured Spencer Prior, as Richard Jobson and Alfie Haaland were given an uncomfortable ride by Cooke.

However, the Burnley striker should have scored after 21 minutes only to delay too long on his finish and allow Jobson to get back and snuff out the danger.

Shortly afterwards Kevin Ball delivered an immaculate through-ball for Paul Weller but his killer instinct was similarly lacking.

Not so with Gray, however, as the Northern Ireland international fired the Clarets ahead with a stunning first goal for the club.

Starting the move deep in his own half, Gray accepted a return ball from Cooke and first-time from 25 yards swept a low shot beyond England under-21 keeper Nicky Weaver.

In a lively encounter City weren't without their opportunities, most of which fell to Jamie Pollock.

But Crichton denied him with a fine save low to his right after seeing the ball late and six minutes later Mullin made it 2-0 when he combined with Weller to head in from close range following an excellent cross from the wing-man who looks to be on the way back to his best. City responded after half-time with Peacock reducing the arrears from close-in after Crichton had pushed out Mark Kennedy's angled drive.

But despite some slick passing moves of their own the visitors couldn't find a second.

Richard Edghill had the best chance before at the other end Dean West, one of seven substitutes used by Ternent, was thwarted by Jobson's last-gasp challenge.

Crichton was almost embarrassed by Paul Dickov when he dribbled out of his penalty area but made amends with that late block from Peacock.

Wright-Phillips couldn't match father Ian Wright's Turf Moor finishing with the loose ball and so Burnley head for their final warm-up game at Rochdale tomorrow night in fine fettle.

Ternent will feel there is still work to do but give or take a fit Glen Little and Andy Payton, the pieces look to be falling into place.

Burnley 3-5-2

Crichton;

(from right) Cox, Davis, Thomas (Brass 74);

Weller (West 60), Mullin (Mellon 69), Ball (Jepson 46), Cook (Johnrose 69), Briscoe (Branch 61);

Cooke, Gray (Lee 74).

Referee: Mick Ryan (Burnley)

Attendance: 5,426.