Dave Thornley has truly got his mojo back. Three points hard-earned at Elland Road has done it.

Go on Dave… Yes, it was a perfect example of a smash and grab; yes, we gave the ball away too often particularly in the second half; and yes, a better team than Leeds would have certainly beaten us, but despite all that, boy did that win feel good.

Burnley don’t often win at Leeds United Elland Road stadium, but in yesterday lunchtime’s Championship fixture, the Clarets delivered one of those rare triumphs in a performance that owed almost everything to resilience, organisation, hard work and sheer bloody-mindedness.

Leeds away can rightly be considered in all likelihood to be one of the Championship’s tougher assignments, so to emerge from it with all three points can, even at this early stage of the season, be considered a significant victory.

Burnley were grateful that Leeds spurred a very early chance when Matteo Joseph scooped the ball wide with only James Trafford between him and the goal. In a way, it set the tone for the whole match.

Trafford’s career at Burnley has, thus far, been turbulent, but yesterday he gave perhaps his best performance for the Clarets, making two excellent saves and showing greater authority than had been previously seen; his collection of a dangerous stoppage time cross through a crowd of leaping bodies was practically Pope-like.

He still dawdles too much with the ball at his feet when crisper distribution could launch attacks, but that is nit-picking, he is showing signs of becoming the goalkeeper Burnley hoped he would become when they signed him.
The only goal of the game came in the 18th minute when Luca Koleosho seized on a slip by the ham-inept Solomon and sprinted the length of Elland Road before tucking the ball neatly into the corner of the Leeds net.

Thereafter, despite conceding far more possession than I for one was comfortable with, Burnley’s grit and determination saw them through.

In an often-feisty match, it is necessary not to shirk from the battle and in Hannibal Burnley have acquired a player perfectly suited to this kind of situation.

His revelling in the abuse hurled at him from Leeds fans as he circumnavigated the touchline on being substituted will become an abiding memory. He will undoubtedly become a card magnet, and that will lead to suspensions, but his value to the Clarets as the season unfolds will be immense.

Talking of suspensions, Bashir Humphrey’s promising Burnley debut, pressed into service in an unfamiliar right back position, was ended early with a second yellow card, it came deep into stoppage time and had little material effect on the remainder of the game, but was nevertheless a small stain on an otherwise excellent result.

After navigating their way through visits to Luton, Sunderland and Leeds, as well as a home local derby, the Clarets now have a theoretically friendlier run of fixtures. Things are looking positive.

All we need to do is keep hold of Luca Koleosho! (The Editors Chair - Clarets Mad.)