BURNLEY 2 (Elliott 30, Lafferty 34)
BARNSLEY 1 (Howard 42)

BARNSLEY'S away nightmare continued as the Reds were washed away in the pouring rain at Turf Moor.

Reds boss Simon Davey arrived at Turf Moor with an unenviable winless away run stretching to 19 matches. The Barnsley manager looked to end this wretched sequence of results on the road by juggling his side again with Daniel Nardiello starting his first match in a month and Jamal Campbell-Ryce coming back into the side. Kayode Odejayi and Martin Devaney missed out.

Skipper Howard again went into the game one booking away from missing next weekend's FA Cup Semi Final against Cardiff City at Wembley Stadium and looking to escape a heartbreaking caution.

The two teams were greeted by a firework display at Turf Moor as they took to the field in driving rain and swirling wind that made conditions underfoot treacherous and threatened to wreck any sort of footballing spectacle from a Reds side desperate for three points and a Clarets outfit playing without any real pressure.

Burnley fired the first shot in anger on three minutes when Joey Gudjonsson looked to take advantage of the wretched conditions by letting fly from 30 yards but Luke Steele had his angles spot on and made a comfortable save.

The Clarets went even closer on six minutes when Robbie Blake crossed from the left to give Kyle Lafferty a chance but the Northern Ireland international headed against Dennis Souza and over the bar. Steven Caldwell then saw a header well hacked off the line seconds later after meeting O'Connor's corner.

Again the Clarets managed to get in behind the Reds on nine minutes when Wade Elliott stood up a great cross to the back post for Blake to attack but the striker put his header high over the bar.

Barnsley went closest to the opening goal on eleven minutes when Lewin Nyatanga found himself in a great position after Brian Howard's free kick had caused problems for the Clarets defence. The Welshman took his shot early and beat Brian Jensen but his effort drifted a yard or so wide of the far post.

Burnley again could have snatched the lead on 15 minutes when Blake's free kick drifted through the Barnsley defence and gave Gudjonsson half a chance at the back post but the Icelandic star, son of former Oakwell boss Gudjon Thordarson, missed his kick from six yards.

The Reds were their own worst enemy again on 18 minutes when Souza needlessly gave away a corner under the lightest of pressure from Lafferty. Blake's corner looked to give Lafferty a simple header but the Clarets striker missed the ball and another chance went begging for the home side.

Burnley thought they had the goal their early dominance deserved on 20 minutes when Blake again caused chaos in the Reds area with a free kick from the left. This time Lafferty did get a good contact on the ball and sent it past Steele into the back of the net only for his strike to be ruled out by the referee although there did not look too much wrong with the Irishman's header.

The game almost swung on 25 minutes when Diego Leon picked a fine pass through the heart of the Burnley defence for Nardiello to race through. The ball held up in the puddles now covering the Turf Moor pitch to give the striker a clean run on goal but Nardiello could not find the back of the net and shot wide with only Jensen to beat.

Nardiello did test Jenson on 26 minutes as he let fly from 25 yards but his effort held up in the water and was easy for the Clarets keeper. Seconds later Jon Macken managed to get in behind Jon Harley and shot but his effort struck the recovering Burnley full back. Macken then fired the loose ball against Harley and away to safety.

Souza was left in agony clutching his face for the second week running as he clashed with Lafferty on 28 minutes. The Brazilian, who has been such a massive influence on the Reds this season, was forced out of the action for stitches again.

Burnley grabbed the lead, probably against the run of play, on the half hour as Souza was still off the pitch for treatment. A quick one-two with Blake gave Elliott a great chance in the area and the Clarets hitman made no mistake from six yards.

The home side almost made their man advantage count again on 32 minutes as Chris McCann broke into space on the edge of the area but lashed his shot well wide of the target.

Barnsley responded as Leon's corner fell nicely to Howard on the edge of the area but the midfielder's effort struck Nardiello and bounced well wide of Jensen's goal.

Ten-man Barnsley were made to pay again on 36 minutes as Lafferty made the conditions work to his favour as he easily turned past Stephen Foster before curling the ball past Steele and into the back of the net.

Souza finally returned to the action, plus a couple more stitches following his clash with Lafferty, on 38 minutes after seeing his side totally fall apart and crash to a two-goal deficit in his absence.

The game descended into a complete farce in the latter stages of the second half as the incessant deluge left more and more standing water on an atrocious Turf Moor pitch. If the rain continues Simon Davey will have to send on Noah in the second half.

Barnsley were right back in it on 42 minutes when Nardiello skipped past Graham Alexander and to the byline to cross. The ball went across the goalline and stuck in the water on the line. Leon reacted quickest but saw his shot somehow blocked on the line by Jensen but Howard was on hand to rifle the ball into the roof of the net.

Rob Kozluk almost got in on Jensen in stoppage time as he raced onto Howard's flick but was flagged offside before he could let fly.

Somehow the pitch survived a half time inspection as the rain fell and fell and the puddles got deeper and deeper. It was game on at the start of the second half although whether the match would last the full 90 minutes was very, very questionable.

Campbell-Ryce managed to get a good run into the shallow end of the Turf Moor pitch on 48 minutes but found himself hampered by the standing water. Campbell-Ryce managed to get a cross away and almost embarrassed Jensen as the ball dropped just over the bar.

Kozluk then had a great chance to deliver a minute later as his drilled cross stopped on the six yard line in the water and gave Leon half a chance but the Spaniard swung and missed his kick under pressure from Steven Caldwell.

Burnley responded to the Reds early onslaught with Blake racing in from the left touchline on 53 minutes. The striker took the ball inside Kozluk and let fly but his effort rippled the sidenetting with Steele untroubled. Elliot then brought a save from Steele on 56 minutes as he broke through midfield before letting fly.

The Reds stood and watched again on 57 minutes as Blake ambled forward into the area and was given acres of time and space to let fly but thankfully Steele managed to grab the ball at the second attempt.

Nardiello again left Alexander for dead seconds later as he skinned the veteran down the left before getting a shot away from the angle of the area but his effort drifted just wide of Jensen's post.

Howard should have levelled things on 62 minutes as he found himself free in the area as Bobby Hassell threaded the ball through but the midfielder was caught in two minds and the chance went begging.

Substitute Odejayi almost made an instant impact on 64 minutes as he changed down Jensen's clearance but the ball struck the big striker and bounced out of play.

Foster was rather harshly booked on 65 minutes as he blocked off McCann as the midfielder had knocked the ball past him and into space. From Blake's free kick Alexander lashed a volley into the advertising boards after the ball dropped to him 30 yards out.

Lafferty and Blake combined well on the counter attack on 66 minutes to give Elliott a great chance on the edge of the area but the Clarets midfielder planted his shot well wide of the target when he should have killed the game.

Macken was an inch away from levelling the game on 68 minutes as he cut in past the Clarets defence before hitting a great left-foot shot past Jensen but off the bar and away.

A clash between Souza and substitute Ade Akinbiyi earned the Brazilian a yellow card on 77 minutes. It could - and probably should - have been much, much worse for the Reds defender who cynically blocked off the Clarets striker on half way.

Burnley went close to settling the game seconds later when Gudjonsson smashed one in from 30 yards. The ball beat Steele but smacked against the post.

The chance the Reds were waiting for came on 83 minutes when Kozluk swung the ball over from the right. Michael Coulson stole a yard on his marker and met the ball but his header flew well wide of the post.

Odejayi turned provider on 85 minutes as his cross again held up in the standing water and gave Nardiello half a chance but the striker was second best when faced with a sliding Jensen.

Burnley could have finished it seconds later when Andrew Cole tricked his way through the water in the Barnsley area. Cole missed his kick although the ball fell out to James O'Connor, who let fly, but Steele was well placed to make a great save.

Again the game swung to the other end with Nardiello cutting in from the left on 87 minutes. Nardiello took a touch too many and saw his shot crowded out by the Burnley defence. Coulson then brought a save from Jensen on 89 minutes with a low drive. The ball bounced loose only to be knocked back to his keeper by David Unsworth but the official amazingly failed to give a backpass against the Clarets veteran.

It was desperate as the bottom three loomed large. Nyatanga threw the ball into the danger area in stoppage time for Foster to attack but this time the ball looped through to Jensen.

BURNLEY: Jensen, Alexander, Harley, Caldwell, O'Connor, Gudjonsson, Elliott (Mahon 90), McCann, Lafferty (Akinbiyi 75), Blake (Cole 80), Unsworth.
Subs: Kiraly, Randall.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Foster, Nyatanga, Souza, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce (Coulson 78), Howard (c), Hassell, Leon (Odejayi 64), Nardiello, Macken.
Subs: Ferenczi, Van Homoet, Devaney.