Wrexham 0 Burnley 0 - Tony Dewhurst's big match verdict

EXASPERATED Brian Flynn pointed an accusing finger at Chris Brass as Burnley toasted their first away-day point.

The Wrexham manager was furious after referee George Cain denied what Flynn had believed to be a clear-cut 70th-minute penalty for handball.

Wrexham's players surrounded the referee - and were still haranguing the official at the final whistle - claiming Brass had punched Peter Ward's corner out of the danger zone with the pressure mounting on the Burnley goal.

"The boy (Brass) did definitely get a hand to the ball and I saw it quite clearly," rapped Flynn.

"We had a very legitimate claim for a hand ball and should have had a penalty.

"The referee should have given it, there was no doubt in my mind about that."

The question was: How did Burnley escape from the Racecourse with a point under their belts?

For once fortune was smiling on Burnley as the Clarets rode their luck as Wrexham fired their fifth 90-minute blank on the bounce to leave Flynn under increasing pressure.

Wrexham haven't scored since they roasted Luton Town 5-2 at Kenilworth Road on September 20.

And with the finishing they exhibited in front of the Burnley goal you could see exactly the reason why.

But let's get it right, this was never a fixture for the purist, and a contest when Burnley never genuinely threatened the Wrexham goal until the belated stages of a distinctly ordinary contest. "I'm not kidding anybody, we have definitely played better this season," smiled a satisfied Waddle.

"But you've got to be reasonably pleased with a point at Wrexham. It is never the easiest place to come to and try and get a result.

"We've played ever so well in our past four or five games but we didn't really fire against Wrexham.

"We didn't pass the ball as well, but I'd have settled for a point before the game.

"In fact we played better at Brentford and didn't get anything. So that perhaps shows that our luck is changing at last."

The big plus factor for Waddle was the resilience and bravery of this Burnley show, especially after five straight defeats on the road.

Burnley refused to buckle against almost overwhelming first half odds when Wrexham, for half an hour at least, had threatened to swamp the Clarets, missing several clear-cut chances.

"We can certainly take some confidence from this result," added Waddle.

"We have more understanding and our pattern of play is improving all the time."

It was a tale of woe for Wrexham inside the penalty box as their strikers squandered chance after chance.

I counted FIVE great opportunities - but Burnley resolutely refused to give precious ground.

The Clarets had defender Neil Moore to thank for keeping Wrexham at bay with a splendid goal-line clearance after Karl Connolly had fed Ray Kelly.

The Manchester City loan player rounded Beresford, but Moore had read the situation perfectly, hoofing the ball out of the danger zone. Wrexham's chief threat came from the figure of Connolly. Playing in a left-sided midfield role he tormented Burnley and gave Chris Brass a real run for his money.

Tall striker Dean Spink threatened to break the deadlock at least twice, first shooting straight at Marlon Beresford from a promising opening.

The blond-haired Spink - remember him scoring for Shrewsbury against Burnley last season - usually makes a habit of netting against the Clarets, but thankfully he had left his shooting boots at home.

And as Burnley struggled to keep Wrexham at bay, Spink was guilty of another poor miss, this time blazing over the Burnley goal with the target at his mercy.

Burnley were restricted to the odd attacking foray, and a rare opportunity went begging when Waddle saw his neat cross slip past the face of the Wrexham goal, with Gerry Creaney just failing to connect.

Dave Brammer replied and, as Wrexham turned up the heat even further, Chris Brass headed powerfully against his own post as the home side came closest to breaking the deadlock.

The arrival of Paul Weller in the 58th minute almost sparked Burnley into life in front of goal as Paul Barnes struck a thunderous shot, but ex-Clarets goalkeeper Andy Marriott took the full force of the impact and smothered the danger.

Then Beresford showed his lightning reactions, tipping over Connolly's dipping 25-yard drive as Wrexham threatened in the final minutes. Burnley even had a strong claim for a penalty after substitute Andy Cooke appeared to be obstructed, but the referee was having none of it.

And it was Wrexham who were left cursing those missed opportunities as Burnley claimed their second successive 0-0 draw at the Racecourse.

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