AMID much talk of fresh beginnings and bright new dawns, it was an old favourite who struck to get the Clarets up-and-running at the start of a season heavy with expectation.

With three new signings in Burnley's somewhat surprising starting line-up and a fourth on the bench, there were changes aplenty from the side that wound up last season with a flourish.

But one common denominator making a seamless connection with either end of the summer was Andy Cooke, who picked up where he left off in May by scoring a high-quality equaliser.

Cooke - who had made more appearances for Burnley than anyone else in the side bar Steve Davis - connected perfectly with Andy Payton's cross to head home in the 69th-minute as the old guard were reunited.

Payton had only been on the field for eight minutes when he rekindled his partnership with Cooke, who must have been glad of the extra support as Burnley chased a game that had threatened to be put beyond them. But it wasn't all about the old boys. Summer signing Alan Lee also played a significant part in swinging the balance the Clarets way following his half-time introduction and Mitchell Thomas also made a solid start at the back.

Lee won everything in the air and gave Burnley a dimension missing before the break when the Clarets 4-5-1 formation failed to function.

Manager Stan Ternent's response was to switch to 4-4-2 and then to 4-3-3 following Payton's entry and the greater threat up front, added to the momentum of Cooke's goal, could have produced Burnley's first-ever win at Adams Park.

As it was, they had to settle for ending a run of four straight defeats on the ground. And after their early teething problems against a bright and breezy Wycombe side, a draw represented a satisfactory start.

When Ternent finally revealed his hand it showed that Burnley's final pre-season work-out at Carlisle had indeed been a dress rehearsal as he started with the same team. That meant Paul Smith was preferred to Tom Cowan at left-back with Graham Branch in front of him and Cooke deployed as the lone striker, leaving last season's leading-scorer Payton on the bench, alongside Lee, Armstrong, Ronnie Jepson and Lenny Johnrose. First impressions were good but then swiftly proved to be misleading, however, as Branch and Glen Little were starved of service and John Mullin's darting runs forward to support Cooke began to dry up.

Burnley's midfield were then second best, leaving the back four exposed to Steve Brown and Michael Simpson as they supported Sean Devine and Jermaine McSporran up front.

The Clarets didn't get tight enough to Devine and Paul Crichton had already saved well from the Wycombe dangerman before the home side went in front.

Again Burnley appeared to stand off as McSporran cut in from the right and from 25 yards he let fly with a left-footer that flew past Crichton into the net.

Burnley went through a dreadful spell of pumping balls up to Cooke, who worked tirelessly but couldn't be expected to be everywhere at once along an under-manned front line.

A shaft of light appeared just before the break when from the Clarets best move to date, Branch headed down a Dean West cross for Cooke to unleash a volley which Martin Taylor brilliantly blocked.

But that wasn't enough to stop Ternent changing the battle plan, with Mullin the one to make way for Lee.

And the switch paid instant dividends when Lee immediately won a header from Cooke's cross which struck the hand of defender Paul McCarthy - accidentally in the eyes of referee Lee Cable.

Burnley weren't out of the woods, however, and it took two fine saves from Crichton, both from Devine, to keep them in the match.

Ternent responded by throwing on Payton and his presence further unsettled Wycombe, who by now had shot their bolt.

With Jepson also on to control midfield, Burnley gained the upper hand and McCarthy's goalline clearance from Cooke was only a temporary reprieve.

Once Cook had nodded the Clarets level with an angled 12-yard header into the top corner, there looked liable to be only one winner.

With Little and Smith getting free down the flanks, Burnley began to pepper the Wycombe penalty area.

Davis, captaining the Clarets in place of Gordon Armstrong, also drilled a free-kick just wide as he looked to repeat the opening day goal he scored on the ground for Luton a year ago. But the nearest Burnley came was in the final minute when Smith clipped over a curling cross which Lee met beyond the far post with a diving header that looked bottom corner-bound until it was diverted wide for a corner.

Not quite a fairytale start for Lee then. But he showed plenty of promise - as did the Clarets for the 45 minutes he was in their ranks. BURNLEY (4-5-1)

Crichton West, Davis, Thomas, Smith;

Little, Mellon, Cook (Jepson 61), Mullin (Lee 45), Branch (Payton 61);

Cooke.

Subs not used: Armstrong, Johnrose.

Booked: West

WYCOMBE (4-4-2 manager Lawrie Sanchez)

Taylor, Lawrence, Bates, McCarthy, Vinnicombe;

Carroll (Senda 70), Ryan, Simpson (Holsgrove 80), Brown;

McSporran, Devine.

Subs not used: Cousins, Lee, Osborn.

Booked: McCarthy, Devine

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