IT WASN'T pretty but it was certainly effective.

And come the final reckoning this point may be crucial to Burnley's aim of staying in the Second Division.

Just as importantly a first clean sheet in 13 games extended the Clarets unbeaten run to three games. And if they can maintain the solid look they took on at Meadow Lane, then Stan Ternent's side might not have to worry about staying up by the skin of their teeth when they go to Northampton Town on the second weekend of May.

They need some wins, of course, and this afternoon's home clash with Colchester was one of the remaining eight games that required to be won.

Four points from the Easter weekend would then represent a healthy return and Burnley could easily have gone into the second leg of their holiday double with three of those safely tucked away at Notts County's expense.

In a dismal match of no clear-cut chances Burnley looked the more likely to end the stalemate save for a period mid-way through the second half when County raised their game.

But the visitors were never destined to have a better opportunity than the one denied them by referee Andy D'Urso just before half-time.

Having skipped away from Mattew Redmile and round County keeper Darren Ward, Clarets striker Andy Payton had his heel clipped by Dennis Pearce as he shaped to shoot towards an empty net.

Payton was furious that D'Urso ruled he had merely scuffed his shot wide and was booked for protesting against a decision that should have gone his way. The referee therefore cost Burnley a potential winner and the crowd a second half to enjoy.

Because if ever a game needed a goal this was it. With so much at stake and on a bumpy pitch it was never likely to be a classic.

But with neither set of midfield players able or willing to get on the ball long enough, and the County defenders in particular playing a game of hit and hope, any creative passages of play were quickly stifled.

The game wasn't helped either by an over-fussy referee who booked Gordon Armstrong and Paul Bolland for the most innocuous tackles imagineable.

But it wasn't all bad news and both sides will have been glad of some reward to stay clear of the bottom four.

And Burnley have now lost just once in seven away games as their rearguard action against the drop slowly gathers momentum.

A watertight defensive performance on the back of a four-goal blast in their previous outing confirmed that all the components are in place.

It's just a case of them all clicking into place to pull the club away from danger.

Paul Crichton had just one save to make in the Burnley goal, although that was one more than his opposite number Ward, who endured some worrying moments but only once had to come to his side's rescue.

The classy Ally Pickering and effervescent Tom Cowan have given a settled look to Burnley's full-back berths and also provided a useful attacking outlet to the 5-3-2 formation employed by Ternent.

And centrally, Gordon Armstrong, Steve Davis and Chris Brass all performed well as fit-again central defender Brian Reid watched them from the bench following a knee injury.

Mark Stallard was County's best player and went closest to grabbing a goal for the hosts, who were without striker Peter Beadle but still didn't look like a side that had just won five out of seven games.

It's obviously amazing what confidence can do so Burnley should be encouraged by the value of building an unbeaten run. Former Clarets loan striker Gerry Creaney barely had a kick, although did whistle one header just over the angle of post and bar from County's best move of the first half.

Burnley's brightest moment came when Pickering found Little, less effective as a central striker, who played the ball into the path of Cowan.

However his cross was slightly behind Johnrose who scooped a shot over the top on the turn.

To match that was a break out of defence following a County corner and Paul Cook looked to have weighted his pass perfectly for Micky Mellon only for Ward to read the danger and make his one crucial interception of the afternoon.

A Davis shot over the top and the Payton penalty incident confirmed Burnley's superiority before County rallied after the break and Crichton saved from Creaney's free-kick.

Stallard then wriggled free for once but lifted his shot over the bar and then were to be no more major alarms for Burnley.

The same couldn't be said for County who were caught out a couple of times by Burnley counter-attacks.

The best of them involved Pickering and Little but, although Ward couldn't cut out Little's cross, Payton was also unable to make firm contact and his header at full stretch slid wide five minutes from time.

No winner then, but the Clarets confirmed that they are no push-overs and as the going gets tough, they are starting to get going.

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