Auto Windscreens Shield (North) 2nd rnd: Burnley 2 Notts County 0 - Pete Oliver's big match report

MISSION accomplished, give or take a goal or two, as Burnley swept aside Notts County with great ease and no little style at a sparsely populated Turf Moor.

The hardy 2,442 souls who braved the freezing conditions were treated to a slick and highly polished display from a Clarets side which was simply too strong for the Third Division leaders.

County were admittedly below strength but Burnley also made five changes from the side that beat Southend on Saturday.

And it was their greater depth of quality that ensured a home Northern Area quarter-final clash with Auto Windscreens Shield holders Carlisle United next Tuesday night.

County simply never posed a threat, while Burnley would have scored half-a-dozen times at least but for some poor finishing and some exceptional goalkeeping from Darren Ward, who single-handedly saved his side from heavy punishshment in the closing stages.

On the other hand, Marlon Beresford's biggest problem must have been keeping warm as the visitors' lightweight attack found no way past a Burnley defence keeping its fourth straight clean sheet at home.

Wingbacks Paul Smith and Paul Weller enjoyed the freedom of the borough out wide and took every opportunity to get foward and give County's rookie full-backs a torrid evening.

In front of the back five the midfield trio of Mark Ford, Mark Roberston and notably Glen Little was completely dominant, Little capping an outstanding performance with a blistering opening goal. He also hit the post before the break but, despite Burnley's total control, it took until the 61st minute for Andy Cooke to add the killer second which was always going to put the result beyond any lingering doubt.

Cooke looked hungry after his two-game ban and together with Andy Payton suggested that Chris Waddle may have found a potent strikeforce.

Though both players and Payton in particular must have been disappointed not to have made more of their opportunities in front of goal.

It was not to be Payton's night, defender Denis Pearce denying him a certain goal early on and then Ward performing heroics on three occasions to stop the recent signing adding to his opening effort on Saturday.

County were on the back foot almost from the off with Smith romping down the left, feeding on a steady stream of passes from Little, captain Jamie Hoyland and Robertson, who enjoyed an excellent full debut - his composure and distribution a feature.

Frustration in front of goal may just have been beginning to creep in, however, when Little made the hosts' superiority pay in the 22nd minute.

The midfielder, who like Payton had earlier been guilty of delaying in front of goal, collected a short free-kick and ran at the County defence.

It looked as though the chance to shoot may have gone but with no-one able to get a tackle in, Little strode on and rifled a shot across Ward and into the far corner from 22 yards. Payton should have made it two straight after but allowed Ward to save at his feet and, after Little had hit the upright, Mark Winstanly delivered the pass of the night to tee up Ford who was unable to add the finish the build-up deserved.

The one-way traffic continued after the break with Ward this time thwarting Little with an excellent parry before the jittery County defence presented Payton with another chance.

With the partnership between himself and Cooke still in the embryonic stage, Payton failed to feed his unmarked partner and County recovered, although the respite was short-lived.

Another typical sweeping move involving Little and Roberston ended with the latter playing the ball into Cooke who stabbed home a shot from close-range.

This could and should have opened the floodgates, especially when Sam Allardyce chose to blood two of his youug central defenders for the last 18 minutes.

But they were spared an even harsher lesson by the brilliance of Ward who made two top-class stops, from Payton as their battle of wits continued and then an even better one from Cooke, who looked an odds-on scorer from point-blank range.

When Ward was beaten, Terry Henshaw cleared off the line from Weller and the City keeper deserved that stroke of luck for his service in the line of fire as Burnley marched on and, more importantly, secured a morale-boosting win ahead of Saturday's more serious business against York City.

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