Burnley 3 Notts County 4

It was a crazy, deranged, delirious, insane, lip-smacking, mad-cap Division Two conflict.

And, believe you me, that was only half the narrative as this high-octane tale of the totally unexpected fizzed and exploded.

A genuine pools-buster to put a smile back on Littlewoods' face, defensive carnage and several decisions from the men in black to leave Jimmy Mullen snarling like a hungry rottweiller without his lunch.

Who, then, would have put a cent on the thieving Magpies from Meadow Lane sliding in four at fortress Turf Moor?

Not me. County even had the brazen cheek and audacity to claim Burnley's unbeaten home league record.

A rich prize to ship home to Robin Hood country.

Not since Portsmouth's armada relegated Burnley back to the Badlands of the Second Division last April had a team conquered at Turf Moor.

If that was not disappointing enough, Notts County manager Steve Thompson had even foretold the drama to come!

Twenty-fours earlier he had boldly predicted a Division Two epic to match the fire and brimstone of Mel Gibson's film Braveheart! Dramatic stuff.

The Meadow Lane soothsayer based his conclusions on watching Burnley tear Peterborough limb from limb at London Road in midweek.

"I said there would be plenty of goals and the game would not be for the faint-hearted. It was just that. A wonderful advert for football at this level," he said.

"We took the game to Burnley. I believe we deserved the points."

Thompson should have tried telling that to Jimmy Mullen. He watched the Clarets take a deserved lead and then so nearly fight their way back from oblivion to snatch a point in a thrilling finale.

"Even at 3-2 down I felt we could have come back and won the game," said the Burnley boss.

Jimmy was right. It was that sort of contest. A one-off. A once a season job. A serious heart-stopper.

The game had it all but it was not one for the purists to pick through. Thrilling, attacking play, defensive howlers and a dodgy linesman's decision to boot.

It was all there in abundance as the action swayed from end to end in an enthralling encounter.

With Warren Joyce suspended, the Clarets boss was forced to make one change.

With winger Ted McMinn back in the fray, the game was only three minutes old when Burnley made a brilliant start.

A quickly taken short corner, Paul McDonald and McMinn combining, was floated in for Peter Swan.

His giant frame rose high above the County defence and headed goalwards.

It was a fourth in four league games for the flying Swan as goalkeeper Darren Ward failed to gather at the first attempt and the ball spun away from his grasp.

But before Burnley could build on that solid start Notts County were level.

There was certainly a touch of fortune surrounding the goal. Indeed, there seemed little danger as Ian Baraclough's corner found Paul Devlin.

His shot was covered by Marlon Beresford. But, instead, the ball took a cruel deflection off the torso of Vinny Arkins to nestle in the back of the Burnley net.

From that moment on Burnley found it difficult to contain County, who proved by far the most capable side to visit Turf Moor this season.

Prompted by former Liverpool master Steve Nicol, County stretched Burnley's defence to breaking point with Arkins and the nippy Devlin the chief tormentors.

They could even afford the luxury of resting big striker Devon White, but if anything that selection decision only served to increase their mobility in attack. While Paul McDonald went close for Burnley and David Eyres had a header saved, it was the visitors who carved out the genuine opportunities.

Ian Baraclough headed over the post and into the side netting before County grabbed the lead.

Steve Nicol saw the opening, spraying a slide-rule pass to Paul Devlin.

He broke clear of the Burnley off-side trap and, a yard inside the penalty box, was poleaxed by Peter Swan.

Devlin made no mistake from the penalty spot and County were firmly in the driving seat.

Adrian Randall replaced Ted McMinn at half-time as Burnley tried to find a way back into the picture.

But County doubled their lead on the hour. Andy Legg spun over a corner and full-back Baraclough roared in unchallenged to crash home a bullet header.

It was a poor goal to concede and Burnley knew it.

That should have been enough to kill them off, but the Clarets are made of sterner stuff these days.

Nogan's goal-bound effort was headed off the line by Michael Simpson when a goal seemed inevitable.

Then Nogan turned provider for substitute Andy Cooke.

Nogan was initially fouled by Gary Strodder, but the referee sensibly played the advantage rule. The striker's slick pass found Cooke. He raced away from his marker and fired his angled drive into the bottom corner, despite Darren Ward getting a hand to the shot. A cracking strike for the former Newtown lad to savour as he celebrated his first senior league goal at Turf Moor since his summer move from the League of Wales.

Burnley turned up the heat. David Eyres had a real piledriver of a shot beaten out and Nogan went close again.

But just as Burnley threatened to draw level, County wrapped the game up.

And Burnley could feel a certain sense of unjustice as the linesman failed to spot Paul Devlin at least eight yards off-side, latching onto Arkins' through ball.

Without any defensive cover, Devlin rounded the helpless Marlon Beresford and slid the ball home for his second of the game.

Several Burnley players were furious and they certainly seemed to have a strong case in their defence.

But, even then, the Clarets were not finished and still nearly sneaked a point.

Kurt Nogan gave them renewed hope, heading in David Eyres' cross to spark another revival.

That set up a frantic last few minutes and Gary Strodder saved County's skin with a desperate goal-line clearance in the dying seconds.

It was a tremendous contest but, ultimately, Burnley paid the price for cavalier defending against a Notts County side only too willing to punish the opposition.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.