TO err is human, to forgive divine.

Whether many Burnley fans were in the mood for such charitable gestures by 5pm on Saturday is debatable, after rare errors from Clarke Carlisle and Brian Jensen ultimately led to Blackpool twice coming back from behind to snatch a point in stoppage time, denying them bragging rights from the first Lancashire derby of the season.

But to point the finger at the unfortunate duo would be cruel, especially for the way in which, among other things, they combined to prevent Keigan Parker from snatching a late first-half opener.

Carlisle had kept a tight leash on Parker. His central defensive partner, Steven Caldwell, had done likewise with Andy Morrell, offering great protection to Jensen, who was only sporadically called into action in the opening period. Palming away Parker's late strike was his only real save before the break.

Prior to that, he had either been shielded by his defence on the few occasions that Blackpool got in and around the area, or leapt to pluck a high ball out of the sky before it reached the head of a Seasider camping in his 18-yard box.

They had done the right things, at the right times, until fate conspired against them.

Steve Jones and Ade Akinbiyi had both achieved what they had been sent on to do and put Burnley in front.

What the Clarets needed after that was to push on and put the game out of sight, instead of assuming the bare minimum of a one-goal cushion was enough, albeit against a Blackpool side who lacked the cohesion and drive that had resulted in them troubling Wolverhampton Wanderers in their previous away game.

"They never know they're beaten," said delighted Blackpool manager Simon Grayson, whose players will now earn a substantial bonus for reaching the top six - a handout that Latvian benefactor Valery Belokon has promised them for every time they reach that level in their first appearance in English football's second tier for 29 years.

Conversely, Burnley didn't know when the game was won, and not enough was done to capitalise on the openings that Jones and Akinbiyi had created, or preserve them.

Even before taking the lead, they strolled through a drab first half.

Had Andy Gray's header dipped under instead of over the bar on 18 minutes, then surely it would have been a different story as, like they did against Colchester United with two goals in the first half-hour, they would have endeavoured to build on their early momentum.

The wake-up call provided by Parker on the stroke of half-time, plus Jones' introduction to kick-off the second period, ensured events didn't continue in a similar vein for the remaining 45 minutes.

But the drive and desire they had needed to break down the U's Layer Road fortress a fortnight ago was not present in equal quantity on Saturday.

Blackpool were unable to capitalise on a succession of early corners, generally borne from long-range half chances that took deflections.

Wade Elliott was instrumental in getting Burnley forward, skipping over Stephen Crainey's sliding tackle that surely would have resulted in a foul had he not kept on his feet and got to the byeline. From there he whipped in a perfect ball for an unmarked Gray, but he couldn't keep his header down.

The Clarets striker then had another header deflected off Michael Jackson.

Graham Alexander, buoyant on the back of his role in Scotland's win in France, went close to continuing celebrations with a goal on his home debut for the Clarets, but after Robbie Blake jockeyed his marker and whipped a ball in from the left, Alexander hooked a volley over the left angle.

Although with nothing to show for it, Burnley remained on the front foot, until seconds before the break.

Parker, who along with strike partner Andy Morrell, had so often strayed offside, somehow managed to avoid a flag to race through on goal. Carlisle sprinted back to make a superb initial challenge, but Parker was first to the loose ball, and it required a brilliant save from Jensen to deny him.

Burnley manager Steve Cotterill introduced Jones on the left wing, in place of Jon Harley, at the start of the second half in an effort to unlock a resilient Blackpool rearguard.

He was unlucky not to earn a free kick for obstruction with his first forage forward, after being blocked out by Shaun Barker. Nevertheless, Blackpool didn't clear the danger sufficiently, Elliott pumped a high ball back in, but McCann headed over the angle.

Fortune soon favoured the Clarets, though, as Ian Evatt conceded an unnecessary corner with a horror attempted clearance that he skied from the right side of goal to the left.

Jones gave possession away cheaply from it, but wrestled it back off Morrell and set Blake away down the left. The striker showed great awareness to wait for Jones' angled sprint into the box, where he pounced on the lay-off and fired a shot in-off Crainey.

Grayson made two changes and two minutes after the second, when Parker made way for Ben Burgess, Carlisle found himself with a new man to mark.

Morrell made the most of the defender's contact inside the area and belly-flopped to the ground. Hoolahan sent Jensen the wrong way from the spot.

Nine minutes after replacing Blake, Akinbiyi became the second super-sub of the day for Burnley.

Elliott's high ball in from the right was controlled brilliantly by the big front man, who spun and fired a right-foot shot underneath former Burnley loan goalkeeper Paul Rachubka.

The five minutes of normal time that remained past without incident. Burnley were on course for a second home win, until an unexpected twist in the first minute of added time.

Jensen spilled Crainey's lofty left-wing delivery at the feet of Burgess.

He appeared to have got away with it when the striker, and then Evatt, failed to connect. But the loose ball eluded Jensen and ran free for Morrell, who thumped it past Carlisle on the line.