Blackpool 3, Burnley 1: Gloomfield Road

His ears turned a whiter shade of pale while his nose glowed like a golden mile illumination bulb.

He could afford a smile as he braved the sub-zero Siberian blast because, a few feet away, and in a frantic, noisy and thronging home dressing room, his players whooped it up.

Screams, shouts and crazy banter, the corks popped as Blackpool celebrated their climb to the summit of Division Two.

But, instead of glorying in his hard-won achievement, Allardyce handed out the plaudits to the men in the sweat-soaked claret and blue jerseys.

He paid a glowing tribute to Burnley whose performance, it has to be said, made this East versus West encounter a cracking Bloomfield Road blood and thunder joust.

Billed as a potential Lancashire derby thriller at Turf Moor 10 days ago, that fixture just did not deliver.

But this was the business. Full of all the right ingredients: Passion, commitment and honest full-on endeavour.

Maybe Burnley fans will listen to Allardyce's words and take some heart because they left knowing the Clarets had performed with pride.

"Burnley came here and played to win. Burnley emerged with an awful lot of credit.

"The change in Burnley's attitude, application and overall work-rate was remarkable. Inchy has really perked them up since we played there.

"No team has tested us as much here in our last six or seven home games - and that includes Notts County.

"We needed quality finishing to break them down in the second half."

His comments were meagre consolation to the thousands of Burnley fans who braved a wickedly cold March night.

But his quotes do perhaps underline the excellent response Adrian Heath has had from the squad he inherited from Jimmy Mullen.

And, until Blackpool nosed in front for a second time, there was nothing between the two red rose rivals.

Remember this was a Burnley side with just one win in nine league fixtures.

Compare that to the Seasiders who have only lost once in the last 18 league matches.

Since the only defeat in that spell, at Bournemouth last month, they have taken 16 points from the last available 18. But there was no hiding Heath's deep disappointment as Blackpool claimed a league double to signal his first reverse as Burnley manager.

And while he quite rightly admitted there were several bright points to emerge, he pinpointed the two defensive mistakes which led to Blackpool's decisive second and third goals.

The Turf Moor boss said: "The last two goals were terrible ones to concede," he rapped.

"They were schoolboy errors. We will simply never do anything if we continue to concede goals like that.

"It is something we have to put right because, if we don't, then we won't win too many games. The last two goals were unforgivable errors."

Yet, before Blackpool snatched the iniaitive, Burnley's approach play was bright and inspiring.

Led by skipper Steve Thompson, who did not put a foot wrong all night on a difficult Bloomfield Road surface, the Clarets were value for money.

In fact, and rather ironically, it proved a much better all-round performance than the 1-0 victory at Bristol City five days ago.

Indeed, Burnley nearly drew first blood when Warren Joyce fired a stinging shot to test loan goalkeeper Eric Nixon.

But Blackpool, after a tentative start, grabbed the lead.

A quick build-up saw Tony Ellis combine with Mark Bonner and Ellis' through ball was sidefooted home by Micky Mellon.

Burnley were quickly back in the picture as Kurt Nogan claimed his 18th league goal of the campaign with a predatory strike.

The hard-working Liam Robinson set Paul Weller free with a raking ball and the young midfielder found the Turf Moor marksman lurking.

Nogan turned and twisted and, cool as you like, clipped his shot into the bottom corner, despite the despairing efforts of Nixon. Marlon Beresford produced a brilliant low save to deny Andy Morrison and Tony Ellis side-footed wide from 10 yards before Blackpool restored their lead. This time it was Mark Bonner's turn to claim the glory after he was instrumental in Blackpool's opener.

Dreadlocked striker Andy Preece, sporting a natty pair of black gloves, found himself in enough space to chip his pass towards Bonner.

The midfielder needed no second invitation, guiding his shot into Marlon Beresford's net.

Any chance of Burnley avenging that Turf Moor defeat had vanished.

And just to pile on the misery, Blackpool grabbed a third 12 minutes from time.

Preece was again instrumental. He combined smartly with Tony Ellis whose shot unluckily cannoned off Gary Parkinson on the way into the net.

Ultimately, though, it was Blackpool's clinical finishing and Burnley's second half defensive failings which settled this fire and brimstone Lancashire derby affair.

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