THE ghosts of Clarets past and present lingered for periods.

But after conceding five goals on their previous visit to Selhurst Park on the final day of last season, and seven in their opening two Championship games, they were exorcised with a much-needed clean sheet.

Had the emphasis not been so heavily laid on the shut-out, however, Burnley might have made better use of the two-man advantage they held over Crystal Palace for almost all of the second half.

James Scowcroft was the first to receive his marching orders on 47 minutes. After being booked in the first half for a foul on Michael Duff, the striker saw a second yellow, and ultimately a red, for catching Clarke Carlisle with an elbow when both competed for a header.

Captain Shaun Derry followed him for an early bath five minutes later when his late lunge on Wade Elliott made his argument with referee Iain Williamson about Scowcroft's dismissal two minutes earlier even more regrettable.

Palace barely got out of their own half, but only Chris McCann was able to make the most of their pressure with a goal that was quickly chalked off for an alleged foul on the goalkeeper Julian Speroni in the build-up.

And therein lay the frustration felt by manager Owen Coyle, the players and the 616 travelling supporters alike.

While a 0-0 draw would have been well received before kick-off, the events which unfolded soon changed that perception.

There were positives to take, such as how the 4-1-4-1 formation, with Graham Alexander operating in front of the back four, restricted Palace, who have now gone three league games without a goal.

Once settled into the game, Burnley worked their way forward, culminating in openings for Martin Paterson and Carlisle before the break, while Kevin McDonald looked influential on his full debut.

That gave them the confidence to emerge for the second half in a more attacking frame of mind, but although Speroni had his part to play in the stalemate with a handful of fine saves, better use might have been made of their two-man advantage had they not been found wanting with the final ball.

It begged the question that if Burnley hadn't gone into this game on the back of two heavy defeats, would they have been capable of inflicting a reverse of the 5-0 thrashing they suffered there in May?

As much as Palace got bodies behind the ball and defended as if their lives depended on it, the answer would still have to be yes, such is the extent of the creative options at their disposal.

Despite their numerical and territorial dominance, though, Burnley's emphasis remained on avoiding defeat and conceding in an effort to get that all-important first point on the board.

That would, perhaps, explain why playmaker Robbie Blake was not brought on until 12 minutes after Derry's dismissal.

While enraged Palace boss Neil Warnock introduced Calvin Andrew and Jose Fonte to deal with the anticipated onslaught, the Clarets allowed time for the dust to settle before Blake gave Paterson some welcome support up front.

In the interim, McDonald went close with a deflected shot and when the ball dropped to him again for the subsequent corner and Christian Kalvenes and Chris Eagles brought a saves from Speroni.

But it was their first-half resilience that laid a solid foundation for the rest of the afternoon.

Steven Caldwell had made his presence felt early with an excellent tackle on Tom Soares, after Nick Carle's ball from the left had been controlled inside the area.

Ex-Claret John Oster then received a short, square free kick and drilled a shot through a sea of bodies, but Brian Jensen got down to it comfortably.

Speroni had found himself virtually redundant in the first 20 minutes, but Burnley eventually got into dangerous territory.

A chance opened up for Carlisle to the right of the box. Sensing an opportunity the defender looked up to check his options, but in taking his eye off a ball it rolled too far away from him. His frustration was palpable.

Palace continued in their search for a first league goal through Leandre Griffit, who had a run at Duff as he cut in from the left and aimed at the near post, but Jensen anticipated well to save.

Paterson eventually brought the first save of the afternoon from Speroni with his shot from the left of the area 10 minutes before the break, then the Argentinian stopper plucked the ball out of the area when Eagles floated a free kick towards Carlisle at the far right post.

Although Carle fired a free kick straight at Jensen to all but signal the end of the first half, following Kalvenes' foul on Griffit on the edge of the area, Burnley had ended the first 45 minutes strongly, and followed a similar pattern after the interval.

After Scowcroft's early dismissal, referee Williamson made himself even less popular with the home fans as he ignored appeals for a penalty when Griffit went down under a challenge then sent off midfielder Derry moments later.

Burnley seemed to be most affected by the departures as hesitation from Duff almost allowed substitute Andrew a chance, and further penalty claims were ignored when he too went down, while Duff's were ringing from a furious Jensen.

The Clarets regained their composure, and McDonald, Kalvenes and Eagles all probed, while Paterson clipped a volley over from close range from Elliott's first-time cross.

They had to be careful not to let the frustration at their inability to use their two-man advantage to break the deadlock build up.

A neat exchange between Eagles and Kalvenes seemed as if it would shatter Palace's resistance, but when Kalvenes drilled a ball to the near left post, Paterson was again thwarted.

McCann had the ball in the back of the net on 76 minutes, but when Speroni was impeded by his own team-mate in the process of trying to deal with Blake's dangerous corner, Williamson blew for a foul and ruled it out.

With five minutes to go, a failed free kick routine allowed Palace to break, and instead of having a shot at goal from a set piece in a dangerous position, Blake ended up tracking back to clear at the opposite end.

And there was another sigh of relief when Soares' free kick, following Carlisle's foul on Andrew, sailed over the bar.

Alexander, just after firing over from outside of the box, had the last chance, but his well-struck volley still wasn't enough to beat Speroni.

While, in the end, it was disappointing to settle for a point in the circumstances, with the chances created and a clean sheet in their locker there were promising signs for a season yet to come.