BURNLEY finally found the way to beat the Wolves - play like tigers.

Eleven straight defeats, no win since 1986, no home win since 1970 and no Turf Moor league triumph since Stan Ternent was a lad back in 1963.

But those particular ghosts were laid to rest by a Burnley side determined to put more recent disappointments behind them.

And the goals came from two players who have had more disappointment than most. On Saturday Dean West and Gareth Taylor felt hard done to by getting sent off at Gillingham. Yesterday they made names for themselves for all the right reasons.

The Clarets were superbly led by skipper Paul Weller who tasted victory wearing the captain's armband at the third time of asking. He was the Captain Marvel that drove them forward but everyone in claret and blue came out of the match with credit.

The victory was earned courtesy of a stirring first half performance from the Clarets that left people asking how on earth they had lost so heavily to both Gillingham and Rotherham.

They tore into the Wolves side as if they had been fed on raw red meat and not turkey 24 hours earlier and they got their rewards with their first half strikes.

There won't be many better goals scored at Turf Moor in the whole of 2003 than the one that started the scoring in the last home game of 2002.

Taylor started it with some great skill and a ball that hugged the touchline to set Blake free down the left. Instead of admiring his handiwork he went at full pelt towards the Wolves box where he was on hand to power a header into the top corner and give Blake's superb cross the finish it deserved.

Not only was it a sweet moment following his red card last week, it was a compensation for the goal he had seen disallowed in this fixture last season.

"I flicked the ball over the player, I think some people did not think I could do that, and Robbie made a great run for me," said Taylor. "It was then a great ball into the box, it was almost too good to be true, so good it almost had jam on it.

"To be honest, as it was coming over I was worried because it deserved a goal and I had to make sure I got one. I saw the keeper coming out and was in between two defenders and I just thought I can't miss this." He didn't!

If that was a masterpiece, the second was a doodle but just as valuable nonetheless. Referee Matt Messias must have been given a new whistle for Christmas because he never stopped blowing it but in the 32nd minute he did at last play an advantage that allowed Dean West to collect the ball on the edge of the area and rifle a left foot shot towards goal.

It might not have tested Matt Murray but West said with a smile: "It was going into the net anyway" as he celebrated his third goal in a Burnley shirt, all scored this season.

The goals certainly delighted manager Stan Ternent who waxed lyrical about the opener saying: "It was a fantastic goal that Gareth started off, Robbie produced some magic and Gareth put it away.

"Then Westy had a whack with his left foot and it finished up where we wanted it to, the back of the net."

Burnley had deserved those goals as they dominated the visitors throughout the opening half. They never let their opponents settle, fought for every single ball but it was almost inevitable that the tide would turn at some point and half time saw Wolves regroup.

Paul Butler came on at the break and Colin Cameron and George Ndah came on during a second half that saw Burnley defending deeper and deeper, almost inviting Wolves to attack.

But the side that had let in 10 goals in the previous two games, played as if they had a few points to prove and reverted to the form that had seen Norwich and Nottingham Forest sent home with no goals and no points.

They did let one goal in when Taylor failed to clear a corner and Butler rammed home a shot that looked to deflect into the top corner of Marlon Beresford's goal.

Regular Burnley watchers know their team never seems to do it the easy way and so an anxious final few minutes was no more than par for the course.

The linesman's flag halted one attack, angering Paul Ince to such an extent that he earned a booking for his long run towards and verbal assault on the assistant.

But the fact is that Beresford had little to will have given Ternent some reasons to do be cheerful as Ian Cox and Arthur Gnohere enjoyed a solid game in the heart of the defence.

Mark McGregor impressed at left back, filling the hole that was left by the absence of hamstring victim Graham Branch, just the latest Claret to be ruled out of consideration.

"This was a massive result for us when you look at the fact we were right down to the bare bones," said Taylor.

Branch and Lee Briscoe may be available tomorrow for the trip to Brighton but all Ternent will demand is a similar effort from his players.

They have shown they can compete with and beat the fancied sides at the top.

Now they have to produce a similar level of commitment to put away less fancied teams.

BURNLEY 2

Taylor 24, West 32

WOLVES 1

Butler 85

At Turf Moor Att: 18,641