INSTEAD of ho-ho-ho, it was a case of how-how-how?

Because the crucial question after losing this Christmas cracker is: How on Earth did Burnley fail to score?

There was precious little festive cheer for the Clarets to celebrate after slipping to their fifth Championship defeat in nine matches.

Burnley have not won at Oakwell since 1932 when they headed over the Pennines to record a 1-0 victory.

And they failed to lay that record to rest after missing a host of clear-cut opportunities.

Martin Devaney pounced on the half-hour mark to bag the only goal of an action-packed, highly entertaining War of the Roses clash.

Buoyed on by a cacophony of noise from the away end, the Clarets worked at least half a dozen presentable chances to put their name on the scoresheet.

But as the old football cliche goes - if you don't take your chances, you don't win matches.

Michael Duff, Gifton Noel-Williams and Kyle Lafferty missed out from close range, Steve Foster headed against the upright and Steve Jones could not deliver after racing clear one-on-one.

The Clarets were certainly missing the ruthlessness and cutting edge finishing of injured Andy Gray, who you would bet on converting had these chances fell at his feet.

Strong penalty shouts for a handball were also turned away, meaning Burnley are now just one game away from completing 2006 without landing a spot-kick.

While Steve Cotterill's men kept goalkeeper Nick Colgan busy throughout, his opposite number Brian Jensen also earned his Christmas corn, especially in the first-half.

The big Dane turned in a fine display, keeping out relegation-threatened Barnsley more than once as his defence at times struggled to contain a lively Yorkshire attack.

Cotterill stuck to the same 11 players that finished last Saturday's goalless draw against Derby County.

With unlucky Danny Coyne out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury, Jensen reclaimed his starting place between the sticks.

The substitutes bench named itself with three other players - John McGreal, Frank Sinclair and Andy Gray - sidelined from Cotterill's wafer-thin squad.

In the Barnsley programme, Noel-Williams was identified as Burnley's one to watch.

It's not surprising that the Tykes were worried of the giant striker, who celebrated making his 50th league appearance for the club.

It was back in September that Noel-Williams transformed his Turf Moor career with a blinding hat-trick against Barnsley.

And in a frenetic opening half at Oakwell, Noel-Williams was one of a number of players that could have broken the deadlock.

Tykes midfielder Grant McCann got the first real sighter on goal with a dipping effort from 20 yards that shaved the crossbar, although Jensen looked to snick a fingertip touch.

At the other end, Chris McCann thumped a long-range effort towards the bottom corner, which Tykes stopper Colgan was forced to parry around the upright.

The Clarets teenager is no stranger to hitting the target from distance and with a powerful shot in his locker, it should not be too long before the Dubliner hits the scoresheet again.

Tykes widemen Kyel Reid and Devaney were proving a thorn in Burnley's rearguard in a free-flowing contest.

After working a neat one-two with Devaney on the fringes of Burnley's penalty box, striker Danny Nardiello tried to pick out the top corner but could only fine Jensen's steady hands.

The agile Dane then showed great reflexes to tip away a powerful header from Paul Hayes that was creeping inside the near post.

It was real end-to-end stuff, almost a carbon-copy of the reverse September fixture when the Tykes, then under the stewardship of Andy Ritchie, flew out of the traps.

But Burnley were equally in hungry mood and, in a breathtaking four-minute spell, had three golden chances to snatch an opener.

From Jon Harley's free-kick, Duff was foiled by Colgan inside the six-yard box, while Noel-Williams and Jones were crowded by red shirts as they tried to force the ball home.

Lafferty and Wade Elliott then combined delightfully to tee up Noel-Williams, whose first-time goalbound shot cannonned off Sam Togwell's head.

Hands were on heads inside Burnley's dug-out and they stayed there when Lafferty, sent clear into the penalty box by Noel-Williams, could not find a way past Colgan.

The Clarets would live to regret those costly misses as Barnsley cranked up the gears with the pace of the game simply unrelenting.

From 30 yards out, Togwell smashed the angle of post and crossbar, while Jensen outsmarted Nardiello in a one-on-one joust.

On several occasions, the Reds generated plenty of pace to get in behind Burnley's rearguard and from one move Devaney struck gold.

A clever throughball found the dangerous winger in plenty of space inside the box, and from close to the penalty spot, Devaney placed a clinical finish low to Jensen's right.

But in keeping with the entire half, Burnley struck the woodwork as they mounted an immediate comeback.

Foster, a big danger from set-pieces, rose highest to connect with Harley's free-kick and his bounced off the upright after Noel-Williams tried to divert it home.

Before half-time, Elliott scooped over with his weaker left foot and, moments after the re- start, delivered for Lafferty who headed off-target.

The second-half saw plenty more passion and drama, especially inside the Barnsley box as the Clarets dominated possession.

And there was controversy too as Burnley strived for that elusive equaliser, as referee Iain Williamson waved away strong penalty claims on the hour-mark for a suspected handball.

Lafferty pulled back McCann's left-wing cross and Noel-Williams looked set to celebrate as he stabbed the ball goalwards.

But his point-blank effort was diverted away, seemingly by a Barnsley hand. Yellow shirts surrounded the Berkshire official, but Williamson was not changing his mind.

There was further anguish as Jones missed out after racing clear of the Tykes back four.

The sprightly winger tip-toed around Colgan but covering defender Bobby Hassell ran back to frantically clear.

Alan Mahon, Micah Hyde and Garreth O'Connor added fresh legs as Burnley mounted a late charge, Noel-Williams going close with a deflected header.

With numbers pushed forward, Barnsley almost cashed in at the opposite end as Reid ran clear of Burnley's defence and through on goal.

But not for the first time, Jensen came to the rescue by outsmarting the on-loan winger.

In a late flurry, Garreth O'Connor's fierce volley was blocked and Jones fired wide, summing up Burnley's frustrating afternoon.