Payton back with a bang

"LONG time, no see," said Andy Payton to the Press as he emerged from Burnley's dressing room following his first goal in nine games.

Goals mean interviews and Payton was back in demand. Good news for the back pages but better news still for the Clarets, who need their leading scorer firing on all cylinders.

Andy Cooke has taken on the burden of hitting the net and Burnley's midfield men have also located the target with increasing frequency.

But, to step up their promotion challenge, Payton's goals will also be vital for Burnley.

Having come through their toughest test of the season with honours even against the unbeaten Second Division leaders on Saturday, the Clarets now need a profitable December in which they play three of their four league games at home.

With Wycombe, Cardiff and Oxford the visitors, Stan Ternent's side will expect a significant points' haul to whittle down the five-point gap between themselves and joint pace-setters Wigan and Preston.

If they can do that, then Saturday's passionate sharing of the spoils will have been a good result - even if Burnley must have left a throbbing JJB Stadium with a feeling of what might have been.

The lethargy of Wednesday night's bore-draw at Reading had been left behind somewhere along the M40 as the Clarets played with real fire, encouraged no doubt by the size of the task facing them and the incredible level of support behind them. A stand with a capacity of 5,300 seemingly couldn't cope with Burnley's travelling fans who overflowed and had to be accommodated along one of the empty sides of a ground that recorded a best-ever gate of 11,986.

There was a brief and unpleasant fear of trouble as that exercise was carried out by an apparently unprepared ground staff.

But, if the stewards were shocked, then so were Wigan's players, who were knocked back by the ferocity of Burnley's start.

The Clarets were first to everything and their domination was reflected by Payton's 17th minute goal.

Burnley were hell-bent on handing the Latics their first defeat of the campaign at the 19th time of asking.

And they might have done it had they reached half-time with their noses still in front and the chance to start afresh in pursuit of an eighth clean sheet in nine games.

Instead, they were caught out by a straight-forward Wigan equaliser four minutes before the break, and the pendulum duly swung the hosts' way.

The Latics were revitalised after half-time as their impressive front three finally asked Burnley's rearguard some tricky questions.

But, in keeping with their gutsy performance on a day when no quarter was asked or given, the Clarets didn't wilt and almost snatched a victory of their own with the last touch of the match.

With Paul Cook, clearly pumped up and back on song against his former club, and Micky Mellon dictating in midfield, Burnley got after Wigan from the off. Their high-tempo approach unsettled the home side who were subjected to a barrage of crosses.

Roy Carroll punched one from Cook away for a corner but the reprieve was only temporary as the Clarets grabbed the lead.

Carroll's next touch wasn't so decisive and when Glen Little swiftly returned the ball, Payton jumped highest to head home and end the drought.

Wigan couldn't muster a reply as Cook thrashed a shot wide and all 11 Wigan players then filled their penalty area to defend a Steve Davis free-kick.

The result was another corner and, when Carroll couldn't gather, there was an almighty scramble in front of goal with Payton and Gordon Armstrong unable to force the ball over the line.

But the game then turned in the blink of an eye.

There looked to be no serious danger when Scott Green collected the ball wide on the right. However, he was given time to deliver a cross which was allowed to arrive uninterrupted at the feet of Haworth, who swivelled and shot past Steve Davis to make it 1-1.

Wigan upped the stakes after the break by switching Andy Liddell to the right flank and he immediately made an impact, setting up a heading chance for Stuart Barlow which the 20-goal striker spurned.

Liddell and Howarth then combined beautifully to release Barlow through the middle, but the striker surprisingly chipped the ball wide with just Paul Crichton to beat.

Graham Branch had been sent on to curb Liddell and did a decent job, although the Wigan man got away once more to pick out Roberto Martinez, his near post snap-shot being well blocked by Crichton.

Having lost the initiative, Burnley couldn't get enough support or quality ball to their front men and stopped getting round the back of Wigan's defence. Little, as ever, threatened to open the door, although he would do even better on the right wing instead of trying to redress an imbalance by playing wide on the left.

Nevertheless, he was still able to shake off Green and clip over a lovely left-footed cross which was only inches too high for Payton as he shaped to head a winner.

With renewed belief, Burnley finished strongly and in stoppage time Alan Lee, who replaced Andy Cooke after he had battled through 72 minutes despite the legacy of a calf problem, almost scored a dramatic first goal for the club. This time Payton was the provider but, at full stretch, Lee could only direct his header at Carroll, when a yard either side would have meant a shift of power at the head of the table.

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