STOKE City midfielder Graham Kavanagh welched on his bet but Clarets goal machine Andy Payton still had the last laugh after spearheading Burnley's stunning comeback at the Britannia Stadium.

Kavanagh tried every trick in the book to unsettle Payton as the Clarets' top-scorer looked to get his side back into the game from the penalty spot as they trailed 2-0 with just 15 left.

That included a wager that Payton would fail to beat City's former Burnley loan keeper Gavin Ward.

But the striker kept his nerve and then added a superb second eight minutes later to set up a 2-2 draw which was confirmed when Kavanagh himself missed from the spot six minutes from time.

"Kavanagh was stood right behind me shouting 'I bet you a tenner you miss,'" Payton revealed.

"So I said 'right I bet you a tenner I score.'

"I haven't see him since because he missed that one didn't he."

Paul Crichton's dramatic save from Kavanagh completed a remarkable 20-minute spell that saw Burnley display their fighting qualities to earn a valuable point which keeps them fifth in the table.

"Having gone 2-0 down we were pleased to get a point, although we were a bit disappointed not to get three," Payton added.

"It looked like we were down and out. There was a bit of pressure with the penalty because I had missed the last one and they were trying to put me off.

"And then I was pleased to see the second one go in. I just smashed it and luckily it went past Wardy into the bottom corner. "When it went to two apiece I though we might get another but then they got the penalty and Crichts made a good save at the end."

It was an eventful day from start to finish for the Clarets, who only got to the ground some 30 minutes before kick-off because of major traffic problems on the M6, which also ensnared many of their travelling fans.

"The preparation wasn't the best in the world," boss Stan Ternent admitted.

"I got a call early in the morning to say the Thirwell Viaduct was closed because a wagon had overturned.

"We left in plenty of time at between 11.30am to 11.45am and we came out from Burnley on the motorway and were going down there and going fine when all of a sudden I got a call saying the Thirwell Viaduct was closed again.

"We ran into traffic so we had to nip off round Manchester and back out towards Chester.

"I spoke to the referee and assured him that we would be there for a three o'clock kick-off.

"My concern was the fans but they weren't for putting the game back. I felt the game should have been delayed for our fans but we have no control over that." Ternent added: "At about twenty-to-three or half-past two we arrived. It took us a while to get to the pitch of the game. For the first 20 minutes it was Stoke, Stoke and Stoke - aided by a very strong wind.

"But we hung in there and I don't think Paul had much of a save to make in the first half, apart from perhaps a long-range shot from Kavanagh.

"In the second half if looked like stalemate and I thought I would have a go for it to try and force a goal. I put Glen and Smithy on and then we were on the wrong end of two goals.

"I thought I've done it again here. But we fought back very well and that could prove an important point at the end."

Meanwhile, speculation in some of yesterday's national Press that Burnley and Preston are interested in Sunderland full-back Chris Makin is wide of the mark as far as the Clarets are concerned.

Burnley's Youth Alliance League game at Oldham was postponed.

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