THIS was not the baptism of fire patrons of the new North Stand had paid their money to see.

Instead it was a performance laden with self-doubt and inadequacy, contrasting sharply with the conviction and effectiveness shown in Burnley's two previous outings.

The fact that those games, against Swindon and Notts County, were away from Turf Moor is significant.

On the road Burnley seem able to convey a sense of bravado and play with something approaching imagination.

At home they are tentative and stifled, authors of their own doom.

This seeps gradually into the stands and an eerie uneasiness results.

Without strong vocal support from the crowd, a home team can find it difficult to function properly.

Similarly, without dramatic effectiveness from their team, the crowd have nothing to feed off.

This is the dilemma at Turf Moor.

"The lads are obviously not comfortable at home," admitted Burnley manager Adrian Heath, who saw his side slip to their seventh defeat under his reign, reopening the relegation battle.

"There's an anxiety there and, clearly, we need to get an early goal.

"When that doesn't happen our task becomes even more difficult." The task facing the Clarets now is not eased by last night's 2-0 victory by Carlisle over York which narrows the gap between the sides to three points, though Burnley retain a game in hand. Nor is it lessened by their own single-goal defeat to Bristol Rovers, who kept themselves in the hunt for the promotion play-offs.

That Burnley deserved to lose is questionable, though nobody could deny the outstanding quality of Marcus Stewart's 64th minute header which settled the issue.

But despite the blandness of the encounter, Burnley were as competitive as the visitors.

They appeared comfortable at the back for most of the opening half and once more David Eyres, in the wing back position, looked a class act.

His tackling was resolute, his touch excellent and his penetrating runs down the left flank dynamic.

Indeed, throughout the opening period, Burnley had a more cohesive thrust about them than Bristol, although this, admittedly, was relative.

But from the moment Rovers mounted a swift attack at the start of the second half, in which Warren Joyce had to clear from Andy Gurney, the Burnley distress signals were evident. Mistakes multiplied and hesitancy reigned and it was the hesitancy of Gary Parkinson that allowed Stewart through for his side's goal.

And it was hesitancy by the entire Burnley rearguard four minutes later that presented Stewart with a marvellous opportunity to make it 2-0 when he went one-on-one with Marlon Beresford but pulled his shot wide.

Kurt Nogan, who has not scored in the league since March 12, some 11 games ago, did the same when he had a chance to rescue his side with seven minutes remaining.

"He's one of these players who, when he gets on a run, scores regularly," said Heath.

"He just needs a goal to rediscover his confidence."

He connected with a Steve Thompson corner in the 11th minute but failed to direct it towards the goals.

Instead it fell to Thompson again whose cross was flicked over the bar by the head of Liam Robinson.

Burnley continued to make a bright start when, two minutes later, Paul Weller and Joyce combined to set up Thompson but his 28-yard drive shot straight into the arms of Andy Collett.

A minute later Beresford had to dive full length to his left to deny Stewart's fiercely struck shot from inside the area.

Nogan produced a tame effort in the 24th minute after holding off Justin Channing and Billy Clark.

But the best chance of the half fell to Mark Winstanley who just failed to chip Collett, eight or nine yards off his line, a minute before the break. Rovers charged forward purposefully after the restart.

Marcus Browning crossed for Clark whose header was cleared for a corner.

In the 54th minute Weller found Robinson but he squandered a gilt-edged chance to set up Eyres, who had made a searing run into the visitors' penalty area, when he played the ball behind him.

Five minutes later Stewart struck, converting substitute John French's cross with a powerful downward header that gave Beresford no chance.

There was superb individualism from Nogan in the 83rd minute when he collected a flick from Paul Mahorn and outpaced the Bristol defenders to manufacture a clear opportunity.

But he pulled his shot left and wide and with it went Burnley's chances.

If Adrian Heath is to reawaken the sleeping giant, his main players must put opportunities of this sort away.

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