Division Two: Bournemouth 0 Burnley 1 - Pete Oliver's match verdict

WHEN your overnight stay in a seaside hotel coincides with a special Valentines weekend, then it's reasonable to expect your lodgings to be a hotbed of passion.

However, when it transpires that the theme of the two-day special is sequence dancing with your hosts Tricia and Gary, then the search is on to find some action elsewhere.

Dean Court proved to be the place as there was certainly no shortage of desire from Burnley who squeezed out a first away win in the League since October to harden their promotion credentials.

The love affair centred around Ian Cox, who was given a hero's welcome back to his former club by Bournemouth's magnificent fans, who had obviously handled the break-up of their relationship superbly following his move to Burnley just over a week earlier.

However, it was Andy Payton who delivered the kiss of death for those fans as he signed off with a flourish before his three-match ban by heading home a 30th-minute winner.

After Cox was denied a second by Mark Ovendale's stunning save, the Clarets then battened down the hatches in another top-notch defensive performance which earned them their 17th-clean sheet of the season and inched them ever nearer the automatic promotion places.

"It was a very tough match and we had to do a lot of defending," admitted manager Stan Ternent.

"But we showed great resilience and character again and, towards the end of the game, we had a couple of opportunities to kill the game off completely. "It was a very good rearguard action, you might say, in the second half. But I think we fully deserved to win the match."

Burnley's defensive strength could yet provide the platform for a top-two finish, although they still have a lot of ground to make up and there remains little margin for error. It's hard to see them losing many games at the moment with Cox complimenting Mitchell Thomas and Steve Davis marvellously, and Paul Crichton in such commanding form behind them. Bournemouth, inspired by half-time substitute Claus Jorgensen and a switch back to a 4-4-2 formation, had the bulk of the possession in the second half.

But they rarely hurt the Clarets, who were prised open just once when Mark Stein latched onto Jorgensen's knock-down and brought a fine block out of Crichton.

"The clear-cut chances were basically ours, apart from one from Stein when the ball dropped for him and Paul Crichton made a good save," added Ternent.

"Their keeper made a fantastic save from Ian Cox's header and he made a good save from Micky Mellon towards the end, and then again from Glen Little."

Had either of those late chances gone in for either Mellon or Little, who both did well to get into goalscoring positions, then the Clarets could have relaxed for the closing minutes. However, one goal appears to be enough at the moment, which is handy given that Payton is now suspended.

It was all a far cry from Burnley's trip to Bournemouth last season when they were embarrassed by a 5-0 defeat in the middle of their winter of discontent.

"Last time we were here was a difficult day for me," Ternent acknowledged. "But we are making progress. We are in the top half-dozen and long may it continue."

Burnley have modelled that progress around a new-look and entirely meaner defence and the goals of Payton, although that's not to undermine the efforts of Andy Cooke, who again worked like a Trojan and proved his immense value by protecting the 1-0 lead by keeping the ball in the Bournemouth half for crucial periods.

The recipe for success was repeated once Burnley had countered Bournemouth's early pressure by taking control of the game before half-time.

Wide man Graham Branch and Glen Little were key figures as the Clarets' extra penetration in those positions gave them the edge, if not quite the clear-cut chances they sought.

However, their superiority was given some tangible reward 15 minutes before the interval thanks to a flash of genius from Paul Cook. Surely the sweetest left foot at this level did the business again when his immaculate curling cross foxed Ovendale completely and allowed Payton to head in unchallenged at the far post.

Burnley briefy showed the vulnerability that often comes with a goal but quickly restored control as Cox all but opened his account for the season.

A second goal then would have provided a welcome cushion as Bournemouth raised their game after the break and Burnley defended deeper.

It was largely a case of 'what we have we hold' although Payton was only inches away from a 200th career goal when he stabbed an instinctive effort just wide after Ovendale had spilled a Davis shot.

Lenny Johnrose came into his own for the visitors as he broke up a number of attacks and for all their possession, Bournemouth's sole chances fell to Stein and Steve Robinson, neither of whom could beat Crichton.

With the Cherries committed to attack, Burnley had openings on the break. Mellon and Little could have made the game safe but with defenders of the calibre of Cox, Thomas and Davis, the Clarets currently have other players capable of doing that, however slender their advantage.

Picture shows Andy Payton nodding home the winner.

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