Burnley 0 Stockport 1

PICTURE the pre-season scene.

You begin the Division Two campaign as club skipper and the fulcrum of the Turf Moor midfield.

Three weeks later you are stripped out of the captaincy and booted out of the first team picture.

The next four months consist of a meagre diet of A team and Pontins League football, knee surgery, and the odd substitute appearance.

For a bloke who was rubbing shoulders with the Premiership's finest three years ago, it was a hard pill to swallow.

Yet Steve Thompson's return to the fray proved the only bright spark on a miserable night of Auto Windscreens Shield action at Turf Moor.

So what does the future hold for the experienced Thompson?

Deep down, at 32, he knows his career at Turf Moor could be over unless he gets a sustained first team run. Along with a number of fringe players, he appears not to fit into the first team picture under Adrian Heath and John Ward.

Yet he remains hopeful. He said: "I will just have to wait and see what the gaffer does now.

"It was great to get back in the side. I just hope I can keep my place.

"If I don't, then I'll have to look to the future elsewhere.

"I've not managed to get in squads of 17 recently and maybe that says it is time to move on.

"I still think I've got a lot to offer to Burnley, or any other club. I reckon I've got three good years left in me.

"Playing in Burnley reserves is no good to me. It hurts when you are not picked but you have to get on with it."

It was a tie when Burnley would not have scored if they'd had played until Pancake Tuesday.

In fact, and I'm sure I'd be speaking for a lot of Burnley fans, I've had more fun at the dentists.

It was pretty poor stuff. Burnley's build-up and final ball was too often sloppy and careless.

And the front men were denied the service from midfield as Stockport closed the Clarets down effectively.

David Eyres' 70th minute penalty miss only served to rub salt into Burnley's open wound.

The Clarets, in a nutshell, were humbled by Stockport County's shadow squad. Manager David Jones, who has engineered their remarkable progress to the semi-finals of the Coca-Cola Cup, made EIGHT changes from the side which defeated Southampton so soundly a week ago.

Sickness and injury had suddenly hit the Stockport camp, but that was surely a diplomatic ploy to give the likes of Mick Flynn and Alun Armstrong a well earned rest.

Yet Burnley failed to make any impression against a weakened County outfit - and never created a worthwhile scoring chance in the whole 90 minutes.

No wonder the home fans were leaving in their droves long before the final whistle, which, believe me, proved a merciful release for the 4,000 plus crowd.

They must have sensed inevitable defeat when goalkeeper Neil Edwards dived to his left to push Eyres's spot kick wide of the goal.

It should have proved Burnley's lifeline back into the cup tie .

But they wasted that one golden opportunity.

The penalty was controversially awarded after Nigel Gleghorn's goal-bound header, from Paul Smith's corner, was handled on the line by Damon Searle.

The defender protested his innocence - but landed the red card for deliberate handball. That left 10-man Stockport to fight a rearguard action in the final quarter as Burnlley searched in vain for an equaliser.

The Clarets, who lined up a 4-3-3 formation for the first time this season, were never convincing and, even when they pushed David Eyres up front, did not find the combination to unlock a stubborn Stockport.

The second half saw a debut for teenage striker Colin Carr-Lawton, who replaced Liam Robinson at half-time.

The rookie striker showed speed and flair, but the County defenders were in no mood to let this one slip.

County had inflicted the early damage on Burnley with a superbly taken goal.

The dangerous Kieran Durkan planted a pin-point centre across the face of goal and Canadian Under-21 international Martin Nash volleyed home from 10 yards.

It should have sparked Burnley into revival mode but only a stinging 25-yarder from Paul Smith, which struck the woodwork, troubled Stockport.

Damian Matthew saved Burnley's skin when he hacked a Jim Gannon effort off the line.

But Burnley let the real opportunity slip by in the final few minutes, failing to breach Stockport County's 10 men after that unfortunate penalty miss.

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