Burnley 2 Plymouth Argyle 1 - Neil Bramwell reports

NEIL Warnock was thankful for the five-mile tailback on the M6.

Plymouth did not arrive at Turf Moor until 30 minutes before the kick-off.

And that foiled Adrian Heath's cunning plot to sap the visitors' energy.

Warnock was only half-joking when he complained about the away dressing room.

"It was about 150 degrees in there. We could not have stayed in there much longer. It was obviously a plan," he smirked.

But the motorway congestion was not the only spoke in Heath's wheel.

For to heat the away dressing room to such a degree, the home team radiators must have been turned off as Burnley started as cold as an Eskimo in a leotard.

Plymouth might easily have stormed into a commanding first half lead and the Clarets continued to blow hot and cold for the remainder of the game.

This one match summed up their season - promising in patches and soul-destroying at other times.

Nerves were jangling as Warnock's men staged a late rally and Argyle could easily have stolen a point they barely deserved.

Heath was critical of his team, describing them as "sloppy and disjointed".

However, he reserved particular praise for his back line stating: "I thought we defended well, at times."

My own view was that the defence were often the biggest culprits of wasting possession and hesitancy.

And this was typified by the Plymouth goal. Burnley were creating a stream of chances but there was still tension amongst the Turf Moor rank and file.

A hopeful cross into the Burnley area found Michael Evans, a forceful yet accomplished young forward with more space than a skunk with bad breath.

He was granted the time and freedom to bring the ball under control before picking his spot and volleying into Marlon Beresford's top right corner.

The charge was on and the anxiety from the bench and stands trickled down to the players.

In a frantic final few minutes Bruce Grobbelaar was a regular visitor in the Burnley area and almost connected with a couple of elegant aerial leaps.

But the frantic scrapes were survived and, while Heath admitted that his side had played better and lost this season, the three points were deserved.

Quick service to the front two of Kurt Nogan and Paul Barnes is going to cause a lot of Second Division sides a lot of problems.

Not unlike Shearer and Ferdinand at Newcastle, early difficulties were caused when two similar players were attacking the same areas. It is now clear that a better understanding has developed and - while there are still rough edges to be smoothed - goals are sure to flow.

Paul Smith was the major supply line. He is a thoughtful and tidy player who rarely chooses the wrong option.

Add to this a tenacity and no little skill and Heath has one for the future on his hands.

Damian Matthew drifted in and out of the game, twice hitting the woodwork, but caused the Plymouth left flank constant problems.

But that lack of cohesion between the three central defenders was the root of the early Burnley problems.

An unchallenged Evans headed just wide from the visitors' first corner and he almost connected minutes later when a dangerous cross was whipped across the six yard area.

Evans again found room in the 16th minute to loop a header over the stranded Beresford but marginally over the bar.

The Burnley opener, though, drew some of the Plymouth sting.

Barnes delayed his run down the flank expertly to avoid the Argyle offside trap. Gerry Harrison's pass allowed Barnes to look up and see his partner peeling off to the far post.

Nogan paused as the pinpoint cross transfixed Grobbelaar before tucking a volley home on the far post.

Either side of the goal, Matthew was unlucky as measured shots struck the bar and post respectively to cap some slick Burnley passing.

Two minutes after the interval Plymouth full-back Chris Billy impressed any watching NHL scouts with a body check which flattened Smith in the box.

County protested strongly but only big Vince Overson's subsequent challenge on a Plymouth defender, which would have flattened a Giant Redwood, was more crude.

There were no spaghetti legs from Grobbelaar and Everton fan David Eyres sent the former Liverpool keeper the wrong way to make it 2-0.

Evans again went close with a clever long-range chip but Burnley were enjoying their brightest spell, Harrison, Matthew, Barnes and Nogan all going close.

Plymouth pressed forward after making it 2-1 with 18 minutes remaining. A ludicrous pass-back decision set up an Eyres shot from five yards out, blocked by the advancing Grobbelaar.

Brucie was later tackled by Barnes on the left flank to leave a two-on-one with the comic cuts keeper taking his seat in the Bob Lord Stand. A scuffed Barnes cross to Nogan wasted the opportunity.

Billy came closest for Argyle in the dying seconds, Beresford pawing a bobbling shot for a corner.

Francis Drake lured the Spanish Armada into his web with his game of bowls at Plymouth Hoe.

Burnley never toyed with Argyle, but their superior fire-power disguised a few irritating leaks.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.