A fan's-eye view from Turf Moor, with Stephen Cummings

I'M not sure exactly what Tom Cowan was on last Sunday afternoon.

But if they can find out what it was and inject the rest of the squad with it then the Clarets have every chance of avoiding relegation.

If the supporters can be said to be the soul of the club, then the diminutive full back represented Burnley's heart. And what a heart he has. Throughout the 90 minutes, Cowan proved that Huddersfield's loss has been Burnley's gain as he displayed exactly the kind of endeavour and commitment the Clarets will need if they are to pull clear of the bottom four.

In fact his passion was still in evidence after the final whistle. Long after the ref had blown for time, the left back was over in front of the North Stand jigging up and down, punching the air and yelling defiant exhortations to the fans. The lad clearly has no intentions of getting relegated.

As for the match - well, put it this way - harbour strong doubts as to whether my nerves could have been any more shredded had they been fed through an industrial mincer. The last time I experienced tension on a comparable level was during a previous relegation tussle, when the Clarets beat Port Vale 4-3, but not before they had thrown away a 4-1 lead. As a friend commented: "They never do things the easy way, do they?" If the victory over fellow drop-dodgers Macclesfield is anything to go by, then the club should seriously consider investing in seat belts for the supporters. This could be a roller-coaster ride.

Sunday was more about great theatre than great football. And after the delirium of victory has worn off, questions still need to be asked. Defence, as always, remains the greatest concern. The Clarets have leaked 15 goals in their last four home games (a rate of one every 24 minutes) and urgent action is required. No team can repeatedly win games 4-3 or 5-4.

The lack of options up front is also a problem. There is an awful load on the shoulders of the Padiham Predator. Sunday's goal will have boosted his confidence, but should Payton be injured we are desperately short of alternatives.

Still, where there's life there's hope. And if Tom Cowan's enthusiasm and spirit rubs off on the rest of the squad, there may yet be a satisfactory conclusion to this troubled campaign.

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