HALF-TIME: Burnley FC 0 Bristol City 0

With only pride to play for neither side found the necessary impetus to break the deradlock. The atmosphere, the tempo, and the occasion as a whole was flat.

Passes lacked precision, set-pieces were wayward and desire appeared non-existant. And even when the Clarets did penetrate, poor decision making thwarted their efforts.

Ross Wallace latched on to a neat pass in behind Jamie McAllister from Kieran Trippier but the winger's hesitation coupled with the reluctancy to cross with his right foot resulted in him cutting back and finding the arms of David James with his left boot.

At the other end it was Martyn Woolford's turn to provide the perfect pass when his lofted cross saw Brett Pitman run goal side of David Edgar only to head in to the arms of Brian Jensen who had been awarded a rare start for the Clarets.

Wallace pierced City's rearguard again midway inside the half but blazed his angled effort over the bar from deep inside the box. City's dangerman throughout the opening 45 minutes was Yannick Bolasie, his pace and trickery causing numerous problems down Burnley's left.

And the winger almost forced the breakthrough; after dropping infield he drove towards the edge of the box before slipping the ball in to Pitman who was denied by a last ditch challenge from Danny Lafferty. Cole Skuse's deflected shot had Jensen scrambling, but the keeper touched the ball wide with his fingertips.

And in the final action of the half, striker Charlie Austin forced the best opening of the game, side-stepping Liam Fontaine inside the penalty area, only to watch his measured finish across James flash past the far post.