WHAT'S this? A Brazilian-style samba band outside Turf Moor, Harry Potts Way done out in claret and blue bunting and a giant heliosphere hovering around the perimeter of the pitch.

An interloper could easily have been forgiven for imagining it was the start of the carnival season, rather than the curtain raiser for nine months of madness, mayhem and magic otherwise known as the football season.

As far as opening day assignments go, this had to be one of the trickier ones. As Steve Cotterill observed, West Brom will be there or thereabouts come May. Koumas and Kamara may have gone, but their replacements are none too shabby.

The Clarets first-half display was uninspiring, and should perhaps be attributed to ring-rustiness. Certainly, conceding from one's own corner is no blueprint for success. And for the first 45 minutes, Burnley looked disjointed.

Ironically enough, the blow of losing captain Caldwell did the Clarets a favour. Stephen Jordan's move to centre-half allowed John Harley to revert to left-back where he looked more comfortable. And Harley's left-wing replacement, Kyle Lafferty, gave the Clarets some much-needed penetration with a couple of blistering second-half runs.

Indeed, the Burnley team in the second-half was unrecognisable from its first-half counterpart. West Brom had a strong midfield quartet, but Chris McCann emerged as the dominant force in the middle as the game progressed.

Yet it was the introduction of Ade Akinbiyi which won the Clarets all three points. The tactic was a simple one - knock it long into the space behind the Baggies back-line and leave the rest to the pace and power of Ade.

On the first occasion, Akinbiyi left Clemence for dead, but hit the side netting. On the second occasion, only Ade's hesitation in the box allowed Clemence to catch him and make a desperate, last-ditch and, ultimately, illegal challenge, presenting Andy Gray with the opportunity to wrap up all three points.

The win was the biggest of many plusses. Gabor Kiraly's complete aerial dominance will only spread confidence throughout the back four. Michael Duff was a colossus. Chris McCann and Kyle Lafferty look strong and assured. And wasn't it nice to have the luxury of a strong bench?

But for me, other than the three points, the return of Robbie Blake was the highlight of the day. His vision and touch are a delight. And one cannot overestimate the value of having someone in the side who can deliver quality from a set-piece - just ask Michael Duff.