Stan's formula for success

DRAW away, win at home. Win when you don't play your best.

Wait a minute, isn't that promotion formula?

Traditionally it has been down the years and, apart from chucking in a few three-pointers on the road, nothing much has changed.

So, while I won't be putting my mortgage on the Clarets going up just yet, that's just the kind of start Stan Ternent's men have to their League campaign.

Certainly they didn't turn in the sort of performance against Chesterfield that had you leaving the ground convinced you had just seen a promotion-winning team.

But at this stage, when everyone's desperate to get off to a flying start and at the same time bed in their new summer signings, winning is everything.

And the Clarets managed to do that. That completes a healthy four-point return from their opening two fixtures and extend their remarkable unbeaten run in the Second Division to 13 games.

Just as importantly, they also showed the character to bounce back from their mid-week Worthington Cup hammering at Manchester City.

Hopefully the sparkle will be added a little further down the line and then the Clarets might be viewed as serious contenders.

Saturday's game was a tale of two penalties - exactly a year on from when Chesterfield beat Burnley on the second weekend of the season with a disputed late spot-kick.

This time Burnley got away with - but it was close. The rub of the green went the Clarets way in the first instance when, after a stuttering start, Michael Simpkins needlessly handled in the area when trying to control the ball.

Andy Payton accepted the invitation to open his account for the season and with renewed impetus Lenny Johnrose headed home a second two minutes later to give the Clarets complete control.

However, a further penalty awarded by Mike Dean 20 minutes into the second half for a pull by Tom Cowan again changed the course of the game.

David Reeves converted and after substitute Andy Cooke had spurned a chance to wrap it up for Burnley, the home side was left hanging on.

They managed it thanks in part to the three-man central defensive unit that finished last season so successfully back in place. The personnel was different but the result the same and even when Steve Davis limped off injured inside the first half-hour, Ronnie Jepson slotted in effectively alongside the commanding figure of Mitchell Thomas to just about keep the visitors at bay.

The change in line-up meant only a place on the bench for Glen Little and the natural attacking width he provides was notably absent at times in the first half when Burnley struggled for fluency and quality service for Payton and Alan Lee.

Indeed the frustration of the home supporters was beginning to surface when Burnley, who had survived two bad misses by Roger Willis, went in front.

Simpkins made a hash of dealing with Johnrose's headed ball into the box and, following the intervention of the linesman, Payton made it 1-0.

The mood inside Turf Moor instantly changed and it became almost euphoric moments later when Gordon Armstrong planted a telling cross-field pass onto Johnrose's head for the midfielder to smartly guide home the second. Even at that comparatively early stage it looked as though Burnley would close the game out, Lee missing the opportunity to mark his full debut with a goal when he shot wide following Micky Mellon's astute through-ball.

But after Steve Woods had replied with a long-range effort tipped over by Crichton everything changed when Cowan was named as the guilty man in a bout of tit-for-tat shirt-pulling at a corner.

Reeves sent Crichton the wrong way from the spot to reduce the arrears and the striker was only inches away from a headed equaliser a minute later.

The comeback should have been nipped in the bud by Cooke, who headed against the bar from close range following a lovely turn and cross from Little after he had entered the fray to a tumultuous reception.

But having survived that, Chesterfield, belied their reputation as the dourest of sides with some neat passages of football, finished strongly in search of a leveller as Burnley surrendered possession too cheaply.

Crichton stood in their way though with saves from Reeves and Chris Bettney to secure a win which again would have been more comfortable had Dean West not had his late goalbound effort blocked by Simpkins following a flash of skill from Johnrose.

Burnley may still have some way to go to be the finished article.

But every long journey starts with a few small steps.

And in the League - where it really matters this season - those are being taken in the right direction.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.