WHEN it came to recognising his service to Burnley Football Club, Michael Duff wanted a “proper game” — to put the test in testimonial.

And that is what Bradford City provided as the Clarets moved into the final week of pre-season, when manager Sean Dyche will put the finishing touches to the team that will start against Leeds United.

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Nearing the end of his 11th pre-season at Turf Moor, Duff is a long-standing piece of the jigsaw.

Right-back Tendayi Darikwa is the newest, and both were pleased with the win and clean sheet — Burnley’s third of the summer — to round things off.

It came at a price for the Clarets, though, with midfielder Fredrik Ulvestad a casualty just four minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.

The midfielder stretched into a midfield challenge he did not need to make, after the whistle had gone.

He hobbled off, replaced by Matt Taylor who beat former Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United team-mate Jussi Jaaskelainen straight after coming on to add to Lukas Jutkiewicz’s first-half strike.

In the meantime, Ulvestad had been put on a stretcher to be carried to the treatment room.

But otherwise there was plenty to be pleased about, not least Darikwa’s debut.

The 23-year-old had only met and trained with the squad on Friday, after signing a three-year deal from Chesterfield on Thursday.

It left him with no time to go home for his boots ahead of his first session. He had to borrow some spare Adidas before driving back to his Midlands home to retrieve his own for his first game for Burnley, a week after impressing against them for the Spireites.

With his right-wing runs, overlaps, link play with George Boyd and deliveries, he stole the spotlight from Duff, who was partnered by Michael Keane at the heart of the defence, with Ben Mee reverting to left-back.

Duff did not really relish being the centre of attention anyway, and bar leading the team out with his two sons Tommy and Jack, and their two cousins, there was nothing to suggest before kick-off this was his day.

As far as he was concerned this was the final scheduled pre-season game before the 2015-16 campaign begins in earnest at Elland Road on Saturday.

The first half-hour was goal-less, and a battle at times with Bradford sending searching balls up to targetman James Hanson, who glanced a header wide after Jelle Vossen had headed over and Michael Kightly had stung keeper Ben Williams’ hands.

David Jones was well placed, just a yard out, to nod clear Rory McArdle’s header, while Vossen brought a save from Williams after strike partner Jutkiewicz’s lay-off.

Burnley’s breakthrough came in the 32nd minute, after Ben Mee had fed Kightly down the left.

Jutkiewicz controlled the low cross at the near post, pivoted, and fired into the bottom corner across Williams for his fourth pre-season goal.

The striker should have added to his tally before the break but Williams got down smartly to save, and Tony McMahon rattled the goal-frame with a free-kick and Mee and Keane were well placed to defend the follow-ups.

Bradford had a change of keepers at half-time, with 40-year-old Jaaskelainen trying to prove he is worth a deal by saving from Boyd, albeit unconvincingly.

At the other end, another McMahon free-kick was tipped over by Tom Heaton at full stretch.

The Clarets’ keeper could not hold Christopher Routis’ speculative shot from distance but Burnley cleared temporarily before Heaton gathered a left-wing cross.

Sam Vokes, Ulvestad and Marvin Sordell came on for the final 25 minutes. But Ulvestad’s appearance was short-lived and he was quickly replaced by Taylor, who beat Jaaskelainen with a fiercely struck free-kick.

The veteran then saved well, turning around the post a Vokes shot.

But the referee failed to recognise his efforts and awarded a goal kick.

Duff went off to a standing ovation inside the last 10 minutes, with supporters rising to their feet again for Darikwa.

Long-serving defender Duff took to the microphone after the game to address a crowd of almost 5,000 who had supported his testimonial.

He said: “It was a good win, clean sheet, so I am happy.

“I would like to thank everyone for turning out. I fully appreciate your support for 11 years, hopefully it will be 12.

“It has been a fantastic day. I am pleased it was a win and I did not have a nightmare and concede too many goals.”

This was Duff’s day — but a new Turf Moor star may well be born in Darikwa.

 

BURNLEY: Tom Heaton; Tendayi Darikwa (Cameron Dummigan 89), Michael Duff (Stephen Ward 82), Michael Keane, Ben Mee; George Boyd, Scott Arfield, David Jones (Fredrik Ulvestad 66) (Matt Taylor 71), Michael Kightly; Lukas Jutkiewicz (Marvin Sordell 66), Jelle Vossen (Sam Vokes 66).

Subs: Matt Gilks, Tom Anderson, Luke O’Neill.

BRADFORD: Ben Williams (Jussi Jaaskelainen 46); Stephen Darby (Gary Liddle 58), Rory McArdle, Nathan Clarke, James Meredith (Alan Sheehan 79); Tony McMahon, Christopher Routis, Billy Knott (Mark Marshall 70), Josh Morris; Billy Clarke (Luke James 79), James Hanson (Steven Davies 76).

Subs: Alan Sheehan, Luke Hendry, Greg Leigh, Joel Grant, Dylan Mottley-Henry.