FIREWORKS were always guaranteed this weekend - but few would have expected Chris McCann to light the blue touchpaper.

Just over 400 years ago, Guido Fawkes was foiled in his attempts to blow up Parliament in the "Gunpowder Plot".

But at Turf Moor, in November 2006, it was McCann who put another one over the Championship establishment to keep the Clarets right in the promotion race.

The young Irishman made Turf Moor explode in delight with a last-minute winner and make it just one defeat in the last 10 games. But that doesn't tell the full tale of the 19-year-old sparkler's afternoon.

For McCann was employed as an emergency centre-half to face the Tractor Boys and came through his test with flying colours.

Only on one occasion did he show a little bit of naivety in dealing with the burly former Claret Alan Lee. Otherwise, he was faultless.

And his last-minute winner was just desserts for manager of the month Steve Cotterill's side as they made sure they played to the final whistle to leave the Clarets faithful doing Catherine wheels of joy as Burnley made it seven games unbeaten.

No-one would have blamed the Championship's smallest squad for settling for a point in the dying embers of the game after such an exhausting schedule over the past few weeks.

But it's a measure of Cotterill's Clarets, and the confidence flowing through them, that they carved out a late winner to move within two points of leaders Cardiff.

McCann was unexpectedly put into the heart of the Clarets defence after skipper Wayne Thomas failed to shake off a knee injury.

But for those who thought it may have been a risk, the rookie defender looked like a seasoned campaigner alongside Michael Duff.

And he had to be on his mettle as the Clarets looked sluggish in the early stages.

Ipswich, themselves in a rich vein of form after scoring nine goals in their last three games, popped the ball about and made the leggy Clarets look second best.

The picky Mr Joslin didn't help either. His constant whistle-blowing for silly fouls and missing blatantly obvious ones made it a frustrating afternoon for all concerned.

But the Tractor Boys nearly took the lead on 11 minutes when former Accrington Stanley winger Gary Roberts slid the ball into Lee but Brian Jensen stood up tall and made a good save.

But as the half wore on, the Clarets began to find their feet and it was McCann who should have given Burnley the lead in the 26th minute.

Ipswich keeper Shane Supple made a hash of his punch from Frank Sinclair's centre and as the ball was knocked back into McCann, eight yards out, Richard Naylor and Simon Walton built a big blue wall to keep the ball out.

The game never really caught fire and went into a lull with only Steve Jones' right-footed effort, after cutting inside and leaving former Rover Alex Bruce, son of Steve, on the seat of his shorts, to report.

With loud bangs and smoke engulfing Turf Moor, everyone was hoping for fireworks in the second half.

Lee's turn and shot from just outside the box after just after the re-start showed Ipswich's intentions but then, with rocketman Jones leading the charge, the Clarets took a grip on this game.

A ball into Gray took a wicked bounce of the wet turf and Gray had the presence of mind to flick the ball into Jones' path but his left-footed rocket was always curling wide.

Another funny bounce caught out Naylor minutes later and Gray stole in but he couldn't get enough power on his lob over Supple and Ipswich cleared.

Jones tested Supple again from distance on the hour as the Clarets cranked up the pressure.

On their rare forays forward, Jensen saved well to keep Walton's 30-yarder out and then Roberts thought he had got his first Ipswich goal on his return to East Lancashire as he galloped onto Lee's pass and smashed the ball past Jensen only to see the assistant referee's flag raised for offside as he began his celebrations.

The game seemed to be ebbing away towards a goalless draw. But never afraid to take a gamble, Cotterill threw on three late subs and his bravery was rewarded.

Alan Mahon is a match-winner on his day and he looked bright the moment he stepped onto the turf. And it was his cross that set up the goal.

After a spell of late Clarets' pressure, Michael Duff took a quick short corner to Mahon who drifted a delightful ball into the box. And with the Ipswich defence AWOL, McCann had the simplest of tasks to nod the ball home from close range.

The roof almost came off Turf as the ball hit the back of the net but the action wasn't finished.

Micah Hyde, after being booked for a silly foul early in the first half, saw red three minutes into stoppage time for another poor challenge.

It put a blot on an otherwise fine week. Nine points in three games means Burnley's promotion hopes are burning brighter than a Roman candle and sets up next week's top of the table clash with Cardiff nicely.

And by this time next week, if results go their way, Clarets could be sitting on top of the Championship.

How many people would have predicted that at the start of the season?

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