Win that got away

GRIMSBY'S die-hard fans are well used by now to the fish jibes that follow them around every ground.

Turf Moor was no exception as a brief rendition of the old favourite "you only sing when you're fishing" was directed to the couple of hundred visiting supporters who'd managed to fill their tanks -- petrol not fish -- to make make the trip after Andy Cooke had equalised for Burnley.

However, it was the Clarets who were left to rue the one that got away as they failed to land all three points for the second home game running.

Burnley created more chances in the second half alone than they had all season previously but critically none were converted.

Even the presence of top-scorer Andy Payton on from the start for the first time this campaign couldn't break the deadlock as inspired Town keeper Danny Coyne made two excellent saves to deny the striker his first goal in Division One since he left Huddersfield.

And just when the Clarets could have done with a helping hand from referee Phil Dowd it wasn't forthcoming.

For the second time in five days Cooke was on the rough end of a decision that could have had a major bearing on the outcome of a game.

This time he was man-handled to the ground by Matthew Bloomer just inside the box 13 minutes from time.

The referee must have felt that Cooke was leaning in rather than being pulled over but it was another of those verdicts that will go the other way on a different occasion.

"I think a defender is going to have to catch it under the crossbar for us to get a penalty because that was, in my view, a 100 per cent penalty. But my view doesn't count," reflected Burnley boss Stan Ternent.

"The players work hard to get in those positions. Andy's turned him and he's got hold of Andy and dragged him to the ground and it's a play-on. Hopefully, everything in football, they say, levels itself out. We'll see." Burnley certainly experienced the opposite side of the coin from their victory at Crystal Palace a week earlier.

Then they had been on the rack in the second half, while on Saturday it was the Mariners who had all hands to the pump to keep their heads above water.

However, they look to be a fairly capable crew under the leadership of Lennie Lawrence and as well as Coyne's brilliance, some brave defending and the odd slice of luck, they possessed the players to be dangerous on the break.

The Clarets were caught out at the back a number of times as the likes of goalscorer Danny Butterfield and loan signing Stuart Campbell surged through from midfield to support their front players.

Burnley were rocky early on and Steve Livingstone had already missed a golden opportunity when Butterfield volleyed Grimsby ahead with a wonderful first-time strike from 25 yards.

"We didn't start too well at all. The tempo was too low," admitted Ternent, whose side were nevertheless only behind for seven minutes thanks to Cooke's lovely glancing header from a Paul Cook corner.

"We picked it up and got an equaliser and without playing as well as we can we created numerous chances . But was one of those days that it just wouldn't go in for us.

"It's frustrating in one respect but good in another that we created so many chances," the manager added.

After Cooke's first League goal of the season, Burnley began to dominate without ever shutting the back door firmly behind them when they swarmed forward.

Kevin Ball and Glen Little both went close before Ball's defensive qualities shone through as he chased back to tackle John McDermott, moments after another Grimsby counter-attack had seen Paul Crichton save well from Campbell.

Grimsby eased the pressure less easily after half-time and would almost certainly have been heading for defeat if the on-rushing Coyne hadn't been able to parry Payton's effort two minutes into the second half from Davis's astute pass.

Burnley at times seemed to be almost queuing up to score but a Grimsby player invariably got in the way, or in one instance four or five when Cooke was ambushed in the six yard-box as he tried to force the ball in.

The save of the game came mid-way through the half when Coyne instinctively blocked a Payton volley on the turn, when a foot either side of the goalkeeper would have produced the winner.

Coyne also blocked well from John Mullin with the impressive Ball, who got forward enough to fire off half-a-dozen efforts, putting the rebound over the top.

Burnley's vulnerability at the back never entirely disappeared and they could have been embarrassed if Grimsby had taken a different option on the odd occasion they had a man over.

Crichton was also called upon to save well from Paul Raven following a corner but the focus was largely at the other end and in the final minute substitute Ronnie Jepson passed up an inviting chance to clinch it.

Being held by the bottom club was no disgrace, but Burnley could and should have taken the opportunity to leave them well behind.