WATFORD'S defensive mean machine was pulverised by Turf Moor's hungry Cookey monster! writes TONY DEWHURST.

Proud Andy Cooke strolled down Brunshaw Road with the signed match-ball tucked under his arm after collecting his first professional senior hat-trick for Burnley.

And Cooke chose his stage perfectly as the curtain descended on Burnley's Division Two campaign. The bustling centre-forward brushed aside a Watford defence which had boasted the stingiest back line in Division Two before their abortive visit to Turf Moor.

In fact, Watford showed up at Turf Moor having conceded only 34 goals - including 11 draws away from Vicarage Road - and not even champions Bury could compete with that.

But that didn't matter a jot to Cooke as he sentenced Watford to their most comprehensive league defeat in 15 months.

Burnley's fire-starter struck his hat-trick inside 32 frenzied minutes and executed his hat-trick with a clinically struck 82nd-minute penalty after Keith Millen had thoughtlessly handled Paul Smith's centre.

It means Cooke concludes the season with 14 goals - one more than Kurt Nogan's tally before he left for Deepdale.

A truly first-class return for Cooke from only 19 full league appearances in the claret and blue.

"Scoring my first professional hat-trick meant a lot to me and wild horses would have not stopped me taking that penalty, " joked Cooke.

"I looked up at the lads around me and said 'Stand clear, I want to take it.' Thankfully, they all agreed.

"As soon as the ball left my foot I saw the goalkeeper go the other way. It was a great feeling to see the ball hit the net because this is a day I'll always remember.

"I've scored quite a few braces for Burnley but that third goal, and the hat-trick, just seems to have eluded me.

"I got the lads to sign the match-ball and now it will be locked safely away in my cupboard at home ! "

Cooke set the ball rolling with two devastating goals inside 54 seconds - both thanks to Paul Barnes' graft and endeavour on a day when Burnley were full value for money. A right wing cross from Barnes was expertly converted by Cooke, his shot brushing the woodwork on the way in.

Then Barnes repeated the punishment with an almost identical goal, this time Cooke thumping home his pinpoint centre from the left.

"Barney did brilliantly to set me up with those two goals," added Cooke.

"He works so hard and is really good to play alongside.

"With Kurt going it has given me a chance to develop alongside Paul, and the gaffer has given me a run in the team.

"There was quite a lot of pressure on me to do well when Kurt went because, all of a sudden, I was one of the main strikers.

"But I seemed to have coped with the pressures okay.

"When I got the two against Rotherham (3-3) I set myself a target of 15 for the season.

"That is why the sending-off at Notts County left me so down because I knew there would be chances there and I never got the opportunity because of what happened. The hat-trick, though, has given me a massive lift."

Watford surrendered to Burnley's second half dominance in a fixture which obviously meant much more to the Clarets than Watford, who simply threw the towel in after Cooke's brace had put the result beyond any doubt.

In fact, how Burnley went in at half-time without a solid advantage under their belts I'll never know.

They carved out a host of worthwhile opportunities and only the agility of goalkeeper Alex Chamberlain kept Burnley at bay.

Cooke whacked an effort against the woodwork after a David Eyres shot was beaten away in the fifth minute, and that set the tone as Burnley bossed the rest of the game.

Chamberlain had to be at his most alert to deny Barnes after a clever run by the Burnley striker had given him a clear sight of the Watford goal. Then Eyres was denied again after wriggling into a promising position. But the floodgates opened as Cooke struck twice in a minute. After that, the arrival of substitute strikers Richard Flash and Gifton Noel-Williams at last gave the Watford attack some menacing punch.

But it was thankyou and goodnight for Watford as Gary Parkinson converted his first goal of the season with a thumping finish, blasting Damian Matthew's deflected delivery high into the roof of the net.

It was a special moment for Parkinson who last recorded a first team goal for Burnley over two years ago.

He showed his obvious delight by conducting a mental war dance to the half-way line before his frame disappeared under a sea of ecstatic claret and blue shirts.

The tall Noel-Williams then saw a header cleared of the line by Mark Winstanley and a minute later Beresford smothered his shot as the England Under-18 striker appeared certain to score.

Keith Millen's consolation header for Watford three minutes from time was just that and Watford were a well beaten outfit on the day.

A crushing victory which left Turf Moor fans in buoyant mood at the final whistle as the players conducted a well received lap of honour around the Turf Moor pitch.

It is just a pity that hero Andy Cooke will not be around when the Division Two campaign kicks-off on August 9.

He will be sat in the stand kicking his heels with a three-match ban hanging over his head !

But he will take consolation from his his first-ever professional hat-trick, and a day which will live long in his memory.

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