DO good things come to those who wait?

If you were to ask Steve Cotterill and his Burnley players just now, perhaps not.

After three weeks, three days and two postponements, the Clarets finally played their first home game of 2007.

But when you wait for something so eagerly anticipated for so long, there is always a risk of anti-climax.

And so it proved.

Had this tie gone ahead when it was originally scheduled, on New Year's Day, it would have been a case of as you were.

Ade Akinbiyi had just sealed his return from Sheffield United, but on the day the transfer window opened he was ineligible to play.

Since then Cotterill has added to his armour. So much so that a total of four players made their home debuts at the second time of asking.

Goalkeeper Mike Pollitt, on loan from Wigan, made his Turf Moor bow on the back of a morale-boosting 0-0 draw at Southampton over a week ago, as did Eric Djemba-Djemba, the tenacious midfielder loaned out from Aston Villa.

Iceland international Joey Gudjonsson came on as a second-half substitute a day after completing a three-and-a-half year deal from AZ Alkmaar.

And, of course, there was Akinbiyi.

Running out in the claret and blue shirt for the first time at Turf Moor since his £750,000 return from across the Pennines, against the club he originally joined the Clarets from two years ago, he received a rapturous reception from the Burnley faithful, who were clearly delighted to have him back.

The glorious homecoming script was not adhered to though, and, with plenty of help from menace Ricardo Fuller, Mamady Sidibe spoiled the party with the game's only goal.

But had Burnley made the most of several first-half openings and decent spells of pressure it could have been so different.

Gifton Noel-Williams responded to his return to the starting line-up with the first chance of the game. Chris McCann swung a left-wing cross to the edge of the area, Noel-Williams reacted to Wade Elliott's backwards flicked header with a firm left-footed drive, but goalkeeper Steve Simonsen was well placed.

Pollitt then got his hands on the ball when Stoke made their first forage forward soon afterwards, winning a corner that Liam Lawrence fired in, Sidibe headed from close range but Pollitt was equal to it.

After that Burnley spent the majority of the remainder of the first 45 minutes camped in the Stoke half.

But a goalkeeper who has kept a club record six consecutive clean sheets, as Simonsen did earlier this season, is always going to prove tough to beat. And the defenders in front of him were equally resilient.

James O'Connor had a shot charged down, Noel-Williams had a good left-footed shot deflected after controlling Djemba-Djemba's delightful ball in, and from the resultant corner Wayne Thomas' far-post header was stopped by Simonsen.

Chris McCann and AKinbiyi combined close to the byeline to keep the pressure on Stoke high up the field as the Potters attempted to clear. McCann drove the ball back into the box, where Darel Russell was on hand to turn it over the bar for a third corner in 30 seconds.

So it was baffling and frustrating for Burnley in even quantities when Stoke took the lead against the run of play in the 25th minute.

Fuller, on his return from suspension, went on a dazzling run down the right flank, got the better of Michael Duff as he cut inside before squaring for striker partner Sidibe to roll in his sixth of the season a yard or so out.

Andy Wilkinson found Fuller after Duff failed to cut out the full back's crossfield delivery, and the former Preston front man brought a solid save from Pollitt.

Wilkinson got back quickly enough to make a goal-line clearance from Noel-Williams, but Stoke again got forward and another Fuller cut-back this time found Russell, O'Connor blocked him out before the follow-up was smothered by Pollitt.

Russell dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box before Burnley regained their attacking impetus.

Jon Harley drove to the byeline and the Clarets had strong appeals for a penalty turned down when the fullback's cross appeared to be stopped by Wilkinson's raised hands as he slid in. Burnley had to settle for a corner - one of nine in the first half compared to Stoke's tally of two - and kept the ball in and around the box until Akinbiyi's downwards header, from Harley's precision left-wing cross, was stopped by Simonsen at the near post.

Kyle Lafferty was introduced at the start of the second half in place of McCann, with the Northern Ireland international operating on the left but in a role closer to the front men to become 4-3-3 in attack.

And with his first touch Lafferty won yet another corner for the Clarets. A second flag kick quickly followed, from which Thomas' header cannoned off Dominic Matteo's forehead.

Stoke broke quickly through Sidibe and Pollitt saved well as the Mali international shot through a sea of bodies, and Duff cleared the keeper's parry. Pollitt then bravely pounced on Lawrence's left wing cross before it had the chance to reach Sidibe.

Gudjonsson replaced Djemba-Djemba in the 66th minute to make his debut and showed an eagerness to get forward.

The Icelandic is renowned for his ability to score from distance, as well as his combative approach to midfield duties. And it was the latter that came to the fore as he picked up a booking eight minutes from time.

Stoke had chances to double their lead through Matteo, who was denied by Pollitt, and Fuller, who hit the side netting then fired over the angle.

Lafferty stung Simonsen's hands in the last minute with a long-range effort, while the former Everton goalkeeper recovered to keep out Noel-Williams' follow-up before smothering the ball as Akinbiyi threatened to poke an equaliser over the line.

Burnley may have only one win from 12 Championship outings, but the work-in-progress evident with the January captures is encouraging.