Division Two: Burnley 2 Bristol City 0 - Andy Neild's verdict

TWO 'cooks' turned up the gas in the Second Division promotion race as bubbling Burnley swept aside Bristol City at Turf Moor.

The classy Clarets served up a real gourmet feast as stunning strikes from Paul Cook and Andy Cooke secured three more vital points.

But it was the manner in which Burnley recorded their seventh league victory of the season, rather than the result itself, which will have given the Turf Moor faithful most food for thought.

Masterchef Stan Ternent has had his critics during the last 12 months.

But the former Bury chief now seems to have come up with the winning ingredients for a genuine promotion push.

Before Saturday, the Clarets had been quietly efficient in climbing to fifth in the Second Division table, built largely on the back of a 5-3-2 formation.

But the shackles have been thrown off in the last couple of games following the switch to 4-4-2 and there's a style and a swagger about Burnley now.

No-one typifies that more than veteran midfielder Paul Cook.

The former Stockport man was a class above anything City had to offer and he lit the blue-touch paper in spectacular style with the type of strike which would grace any game.

But he wasn't the only one who excelled in claret and blue.

Defensive duo Mitchell Thomas and Steve Davis are forming the kind of partnership that promotion sides are built on. The return of John Mullin in a central midfield role has provided the clarets with more energy and attacking flare going forward.

And with Andy Cooke starting to look back to his best up front, his partnership with Andy Payton is always going to carry a threat.

Add the work ethic which is currently coursing it's way through the whole of the team and Burnley are beginning to look like a pretty formidable force.

It all proved too much for City but at least their manager Tony Pulis can console himself with the thought that his money is looking safe.

After his Gillingham side trounced Burnley 5-0 last season he had a small wager on the Clarets bouncing back and getting promotion this time around.

And that now looks like money well spent, judging by this evidence.

Ternent won't get carried away, though.

There's a long way to go yet and he won't be kidded by the fact that Bristol also wasted a couple of decent chances to get something out of this game.

Burnley deserved a bit of good fortune, though, for their swashbuckling approach.

They could have taken the lead inside the first five minutes when Paul Smith whipped over a deep cross for Mitchell Thomas but keeper Steve Phillips pounced on his header ahead of the prowling Andy Payton.

The Clarets didn't have long to wait for the opener, though, and what a goal it was. Just six minutes were on the clock when Steve Davis picked up a loose ball inside his own area and raced the length of the field - leaving half the City team in his wake - before feeding Andy Cooke out on the right.

His cross fell behind Andy Payton but the striker retrieved it and fed Paul Cook who beat Phillips from 30 yards with a shot which rocketed into the far corner. City should have equalised when Brian Tinnion sent over a free kick from the right but the unmarked Paul Mortimer headed wide.

Then Steve Jones brilliantly turned Davis and raced on to Peter Beadle's through ball but screwed his shot wide of the far post with only Paul Crichton to beat.

Burnley maintained a lively tempo, though, and birthday boy Payton nearly bagged a second when his header from a Cook corner struck the angle of post and bar.

City's best chance of the half fell to Beadle but he headed wide from six yards after great work down the left by Tinnion and Jim Brennan.

Inspired by the promptings of Cook, Burnley didn't let up after the break and one glorious ball from the midfield maestro sent Mullin away down the right but his shot was palmed away by Phillips. The visitors still posed a threat on the counter, however, as Beadle headed over and a shot from Tinnion flashed across the face of Crichton's goal.

But the Clarets killed the game off with another cracker on 61 minutes.

Smith, Cooke and Payton all swapped passes in an intricate build up before Payton laid the ball off to Cooke on the left hand corner of the box and he bent an exquisite effort inside the far post for his third goal in three games.

City never gave up in their search for a way back and Burnley survived when substitute Steve Torpey latched onto a great ball from Paul Mortimer but lifted his shot over the bar.

Brennan also fired over from a narrow angle after wriggling past both Dean West and Glen Little in the closing stages.

But there was no denying the Clarets who were full value for the points.

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