Half a performance is better than none. And it was good enough on Saturday to bring Burnley a highly welcome 1-0 victory over Exeter City in a match of see-sawing excitement at Turf Moor.
The first and most obvious conclusion to be drawn from an entertaining contest is that the Clarets were more than a little fortunate to take both points. Faced after the interval with an Exeter side hit by injuries which had forced them to re-organise the team and left key midfielder John Delve noticeably hobbling, Burnley not only failed to take advantage but lost their grip on the match entirely. By the finish they were hanging on desperately and in those final 45 minutes there was little to suggest, apart from some determined defending, that they had improved on the disappointing displays against Portsmouth and Chesterfield.
But even allowing for that second-half fade-out, there was hope for the future in this performance. The two teenagers upon whom most interest was centred, Micky Phelan, 18, and Brian Laws, 19, both gave performances of rich promise. Phelan was making his first full appearance in the team in his familiar position of centre-half while Laws, one of the successes of the season as a full-back, appeared for the first time as a midfield player. Nelson-born Phelan had as good a debut as any Burnley player has had in a long time. Abridged version of original match report by Peter Higgs.
Burnley (4-3-3) Stevenson; Wood, Phelan, Dobson, Holt; Laws, Young, Robertson, Potts, Hamilton, Cavener. Sub: Wharton (not used)