Clarets kill off Mansfield to set up big cup night

ADRIAN Heath had a Coca-Cola Cup dream today - a Lancashire hot-pot clash with deadly rivals Blackburn Rovers!

That's the monster prize the Turf Moor boss hopes awaits the Clarets when the second round draw is made tomorrow.

Heath has an eagle-eye on a Premiership joust - or his dream draw - a two-legged bonanza with the Ewood Park millionaires.

"I'd just love to draw Blackburn Rovers over two legs," said Heath.

"I don't know if the Police would though. But from my own point of view I'd like to see us play Rovers.

"At every club I've played at I've been involved in some very good derbies. It would be nice to sample a Blackburn versus Burnley cup tie.

"We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed for that. I just hope we are rewarded with a big draw."

In truth, this second leg tie was academic after Burnley's thumping 3-0 victory at Field Mill.

That convincing all-round display had paved a smooth passage to the second round.

And a couple more goals put the icing on the cake as the Clarets booked their place alongside the Premiership big guns.

Certainly, though, the meagre attendance reflected the luke-warm interest in the tie.

Even with admission prices slashed to the bone, only 2,884 bothered to turn up at Turf Moor - including a hardy band of 27 from Mansfield! Surely evidence, if it were needed, that there is just too much football played in the opening weeks of the season and that fans can only afford to shell out so much.

Spare a thought for Mansfield. They are already in crisis after just a fortnight of the new campaign.

Bottom of the Football League, Stags' fans have seen their side score a couple of goals and the sacking of manager Andy King to boot - after two games!

And their misery was compounded after 112 seconds when the Clarets opened their account to kill off any faint hopes of Mansfield launching a second-leg recovery.

With all four sides of Turf Moor open for the first time since the Longside terrace was demolished almost a year ago, the Clarets were quickly in their stride.

Burnley's first attack of the tie left the Mansfield defence all at sea.

Mark Winstanley created the danger with a raking 30-yard ball. David Eyres broke wide of his marker and set up a golden opening for new-boy Damian Matthew.

The summer signing from Crystal Palace needed no second invitation, slipping the ball past helpless goalkeeper Ian Bowling - Matthew's first goal for Burnley. It was just the start Heath's men wanted but, strangely, a strike which reduced the rest of the first half to a contest resembling a pre-season friendly.

Burnley attacked almost at will as they turned up the heat in search of further Coca-Cola Cup goals.

The opportunities arrived thick and fast.

Eyres saw Ian Bowling keep out his goal-bound effort with a cracking one-handed save and Liam Robinson tried his luck with a pot-shot from 20 yards.

Mansfield were under seige and only the base of the post denied Eyres his second goal against Mansfield. He claimed a goal at Field Mill remember.

Chris Brass' centre then saw Nigel Gleghorn shave a header inches over Bowling's goal.

At the other end Mansfield threatened briefly - England youth international Ryan Williams shooting wide.

Giant striker Mark Sale then bundled Simon Ireland's cross into the net, but his effort was harshly ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Wayne Russell. But the Clarets' dominant pressure paid off on the stroke of half-time when David Eyres grabbed Burnley's second.

Liam Robinson and Eyres were involved in a sweet one-two inside the Mansfield penalty box.

Eyres saw his shot bravely parried away by the over-worked Bowling and the Burnley shooting star buried the deflection from the tightest of angles.

Burnley's 2-0 half-time lead reflected their first half superiority. With the tie in the bag that handed Heath the opportunity to rest leading scorer Kurt Nogan and field youngster Andy Cooke.

The Clarets youngster was soon troubling the Mansfield defence with his surging runs at the opposition's defenders.

In fact, he was unlucky to see a stinging effort parried over by Bowling and then shoot narrowly wide.

The width of the post saved Wayne Russell from an embarrassing moment after he fumbled Ryan Williams' shot onto the woodwork.

But that was the only blemish for Russell on a satisfactory night for the Clarets understudy and his team-mates.

It was left to goal-hero David Eyres to steal the show at the final whistle.

He rode off the Turf Moor pitch on a spanking new mountain bike after he was voted Coca-Cola man of the match!

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