It was highly appropriate that Saturday began with bright sunshine and clear skies, yet ended with angry grey clouds and miserable sweeping rain.

This was, ultimately, a frustrating afternoon. From optimism to frustration in 90 minutes: pathetic fallacy indeed.

For the opening third of the contest, Burnley were creative, classy and in control, playing a brand of sharp pass and move football.

Naturally the early goal, delivered by Kieran Trippier and executed by Charlie Austin, helped enormously.

Like the player he was recruited to replace, there is room for improvement on the defensive side of Trippier’s game.

Yet going forward he is just as quick as Tyrone Mears but with the added and massive advantage of infinitely superior crossing ability.

The Manchester City loanee put over half a dozen decent centres in the opening half hour.

And had Burnley had someone with the heading ability of the frequently and wrongly maligned Gareth Taylor, the home side would surely have been out of sight by half-time.

As it was, the Clarets had to settle for a single goal from the increasingly impressive Austin.

His return of three strikes in the opening four games bodes well.

Yet it wouldn’t have been a Burnley performance without some generosity to the opposition in our own penalty area.

The strangely yet perpetually annoying Robert Earnshaw was the beneficiary on this occasion.

Given their defensive frailties, one has to wonder whether the Clarets will manage to keep a clean sheet this season.

It was encouraging to see Michael Duff return to the heart of the backline with a customary solid performance.

But it will take time for his experience and organisational abilities to marshal the raw recruits around him into an accomplished defensive unit.

Read Dave Burnley's column only in the Lancashire Telegraph newspaper today.