Payton hat-trick sends Clarets clear at top

ANDY Payton is used to scoring goals to keep Burnley out of relegation danger.

Banging them in to take the Clarets clear at the top of the table is a new experience.

But it's one he obviously finds to his liking, as he lifted Burnley a point clear of the chasing pack with his first hat-trick for the club against a Colchester side that seems powerless to stop him.

Payton has delivered on every count since his arrival from Huddersfield Town 20 months ago and, but for his goals, Burnley may not now be seeking elevation to Division One.

Yet, despite a remarkable haul of 35 League goals in just 65 starts for the Clarets, Payton had not managed a hat-trick until Saturday, when he doubled his tally for the season and took his total against Colchester to seven in the last three meetings.

And, but for two stunning saves by United keeper Simon Brown, Payton would have equalled the five-goal haul last delivered for Burnley by Paul Barnes, the man Payton replaced in one of the most productive deals the club can have ever done.

It was far from a one-man show.

Payton was the beneficiary of two wonderful crosses from Glen Little and Paul Smith to score either side of his 37th-minute penalty and Paul Cook gave another midfield masterclass. But Payton's performance again underlined his value to the side as he was the only one on the scoresheet for the third time this season.

Never one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, Payton ruthlessly punished a woeful Colchester side that looked like relegation fodder.

Defensively the U's were completely clueless and it's no wonder that they have now conceded 12 goals in their last three away games.

Steve Whitton has been handed the job of trying to prevent their slide into Division Three on his first managerial mission and on this evidence, good luck to him.

Burnley won at a canter, despite stepping off the gas for much of the second half, to register their fourth successive home league win this season.

They will face much sterner tests of their promotion credentials, starting at Bristol City next Saturday.

But you can't do much more than beat what's put in front of you, which they did with clinical efficiency before relaxing their grip late on with some sloppy work which reflected the non-competitive nature of much of the second half.

Better sides may have given the Clarets a wake-up call by at least threatening to make a game of it.

But Burnley did just enough to preserve a fourth clean sheet in eight outings to underline that the team is functioning smoothly in almost every department in their efforts to sustain their bright start to the season.

In fact, some of the Clarets football in the first half was breath-taking. With Cook conducting from the midfield, Smith and Little penetrating down the flanks and Steve Davis either charging forward or spraying inch-perfect passes from the back, Colchester were swamped.

And if any of Burnley's attacking moves petered out, they could always rely on Colchester's hapless central defenders to give them another try by passing the ball straight back as they attempted to build from the back.

If ever an early goal was likely to decide the outcome of a game then this was it.

Colchester had already looked out of their depth when Little accepted a quickly-taken free-kick from Cook and swung a delightful cross onto the forehead of Payton, who stooped to head past Brown after 10 minutes.

That didn't result in total capitulation from the visitors and, at times, Burnley dozed off.

Indeed Colchester went close to levelling and it took a brave save at the feet of Karl Duguid by an alert Paul Crichton to stop them equalising. But it was generally men versus boys and after Payton had been thwarted by Brown's flying save following a superb Dean West cross, the result was put beyond all doubt by a second goal from the spot.

The pace of Graham Branch earned the chance as he outstripped Sagi Burton who tripped the fleet-footed striker to allow Payton to blast his spot-kick past Brown. Davis then headed just wide from another Smith centre just before the break but normal service was swiftly resumed after the re-start and Payton made his little piece of history with the goal of the game.

Davis started the move and fed Little who switched the play to the increasingly confident Branch, who in turn laid the ball into the path of Smith.

His beautifully weighted cross found Payton who was given the freedom of the penalty area to control the ball and then despatch a low 12-yard drive into the bottom corner.

Only the bar and Brown prevented Davis and Payton from adding to the tally before Burnley went off the boil and the anticipated rout failed to materialise.

However, Crichton's stunning save from Burton in the final minute prevented Colchester gaining any consolation and sent out a further message that Burnley won't relinquish their new-found status as promotion candidates lightly.

BURNLEY (5-3-2)

Crichton;

(from right) West, Davis, Armstrong, Thomas, Smith;

Little (Mullin 74), Mellon (Johnrose 70), Cook;

Payton, Branch (Lee 64).

Subs not used: Jepson, Cowan.

Goals:

COLCHESTER (5-3-2 manager Steve Whitton)

Brown;

(from right) Farley, Richard (Lua Lua 54), Burton, Greene, Duguid;

Aspinall, Wilkins, Gregory;

Germain (Opara 54), Moralee (Pinault 75).

Subs not used: Walker, Okafor.

Booked: Aspinall, Duguid.

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