Burnley 1 Southampton 1

The real-life Roy of the Rovers, 37, interrupted his day job selling advertising to answer George Burley's SOS and make his first league appearance in over a year at Turf Moor.

And Miller, who could have made a tidy sum selling the billboard-sized space on his XXL goalkeeping shirt, was worth his weight in gold as he stood between Burnley and a dramatic turnaround after Steve Cotterill's side found themselves chasing the game following Phil Bardsley's shock 38-second own goal.

Andy Gray soon equalised by taking the long some might say only way around Miller to score his second goal in five days since joining the Clarets from Sunderland.

And as the hosts laid siege to the Saints goal after the break, the former Bristol Rovers stopper proved to be a larger than life last line of defence as first Chris McCann, then Jon Harley came close to completing the comeback and sending Burnley soaring to 13th place in the Championship table.

However, there was enough evidence here to suggest that, with the fresh injection of new blood, the Clarets have put their New Year blip behind them and are more than capable of amassing the points in the coming month to improve on last year's position.

Gray is proving to be an able leader of the line and an accomplished team player, while ex-Wigan midfielder Alan Mahon making his full debut was a real livewire who came closest to earning the victory with a sensational 30-yarder that dipped over the stranded Miller but smacked the face of the crossbar.

Bardsley, who completes the trio of players with Premiership experience, also put the horror of his opening minute calamity behind him to settle into another impressive performance at right back.

And with Burnley's regular boys looking more like their old selves, it's suddenly looking like a goodbye to the winter and hello to the shoots of a Spring recovery.

Apart from the weather!

Under slate gray skies and a succession of miserable cloudbursts, Turf Moor survived two afternoon pitch inspections before referee Andre Marriner finally passed the boggy surface fit.

By all accounts Southampton, beset by injuries and no doubt nervous at the prospect of seeing their game in hand come to nothing, were none too happy with the decision on arriving at Turf Moor for the first time since February 1978.

But after the amazing opening minute, only a chronic outbreak of Trench Foot would have had the visitors waving the white flag.

There seemed little danger as right back Alexander Ostlund orchestrated a neat one-two with former Claret Richard Chaplow and crossed low into the box.

Gregorsz Rasiak appeared to get the slightest of touches to the ball, but Bardsley's knee-jerk reaction was to stick out a boot that deflected the timid shot past Brian Jensen into the corner of goal.

"It was amazing because Phil didn't put a foot wrong on Friday night and that happens 40 seconds into the game," Cotterill later reflected.

"It looked at first as though he had got the wrong way around for the cross and kicked it straight into his own net, but I've seen it again and the ball has come across and been kicked onto him. It's not a particularly good ball in and it ended up being a disaster for him."

Thankfully, Burnley were about to receive their own stroke of good fortune to equalise after nine minutes. James O'Connor looked to slide Gray clear and when Danny Higginbotham slipped attempting to cut out the through ball, the eager striker was suddenly clean through on goal.

The ball slowed just enough in the mud to hand Gray the advantage over the onrushing Miller and the former Black Cat pounced to easily round the keeper and score his second goal in five days from a tight angle, despite Claus Lundekvam's brave effort to keep the ball out.

Chaplow, a real bundle of energy facing Burnley for the first time since his departure 14 months ago, might have bagged himself a trophy goal in the only other clear goalscoring opportunity before half time.

The shaven-headed midfielder, who had a barnstorming game, created room for himself with a clever drop of the shoulder in a crowded penalty area.

But as he shaped to sidefoot home with the right foot instead of lashing the ball home with his left, central midfield successor Chris McCann ironically nipped in to deflect the ball for a corner.

The second half brought the expected onslaught, with Southampton growing increasingly desperate to cling to the one point that would inch them closer to safety.

Harley, another player enjoying a terrific match, was just off target with a 30-yard howitzer.

And as Burnley bult up a head of steam the equally impressive McCann played a neat one-two with Gray, but saw his shot deflected for a corner.

Mahon looked to have come up trumps just after the hour when, latching onto James O'Connor's clever pass, he cut inside onto his favoured left foot before spotting Miller off his line with a measured shot that was the width of the crossbar from becoming a genuine goal of the season candidate.

The Saints were now in full retreat mode and McCann was next to hold his head in his hands, chesting down Ricketts header at full pelt and pulling the trigger only to see Miller somehow swing a leg and block the effort when it flew through a ruck of players.

Kenwyne Jones provided one late scare when he broke clear of Michael Duff to fire the ball right across the six-yard box with two Saints players waiting for the gentle roll across goal.

But Miller typically had the last word, changing direction in mid-air to stop Harley's rising shot from creeping into the top corner in the dying minutes.

Point made!