PHOTOS: Burnley 0, Derby County 0

Others who witnessed the drab 0-0 stalemate at Turf Moor may disagree.

Clough set his stall appropriately in search of a point, and ultimately, much to his delight, left East Lancashire with a share of the spoils.

Derby were tight and physical at the back but had little intention or ambition to push forward; their only outlet to goal being that of Jamie Ward's corner kicks.

And it was Ward's embarassing tactics to slow the pace of the game that summed up County's performance. The winger's second half set-pieces were a threat, particularly with Derby's aerial dominance, but he was reluctant to rush and take the set-pieces; opting instead to delay time.

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The Clarets started well and almost took the lead in the opening minute; Charlie Austin's strike blocked en route to goal by Paul Green.

Keith Treacy, stepping in for the injured Junior Stanislas, powered a header over the bar following Ross Wallace's superb pass for Jay Rodriguez to latch on to down the right and County keeper Frank Fielding scrambled to his near post moments later as Rodriguez's low drive flashed wide.

The driving wind and rain made conditions tough for both sides, though it didn't affect Kieran Trippier's zipped, diagonal pass that Jay Rod was unfortunate to get a touch to on the stretch. But neither side looked likely to make a breakthrough before the interval after Theo Robinson's strike was gathered at the second attempt by Lee Grant.

The second half saw Millwall loan man Josh McQuoid get his chance as he replaced the injured Wallace. But it was County's irritating intent on delaying the tempo that continued to tarnish the game.

Fielding denied Austin's header with a fingertip save at his near post and Treacy went closest in the 65th minute as his drilled centre was caught in the gust, flashed past Fielding and cannoned back off the post. The visitors cleared the danger and from Treacy's resulting corner, Michael Duff blazed over the bar.

With 20 minutes remaining Rams skipper Shaun Barker glanced wide when well-positioned from Ward's corner before substitute Ryan Noble nodded wide from a similar opening.

McQuoid came to life in the final quarter-of-an-hour as part of a forward three once Marvin Bartley had replaced Treacy. The 22-year-old was inventive in possession and that was high;lighted when he slipped a clever ball through to Austin whose effort whistled agonisingly wide of the far post.

Seconds later Bartley's deflected pass found Rodriguez in space on the angle of the six-yard box but his stinging, left-footed drive was denied by the outstretched leg of Fielding.

In time added on Austin stabbed wide of the near post from Rodriguez's centre before referee Lee Probert sounded his whistle for full-time.

Results elsewhere in the Championship saw the Clarets slip to 12th, but the goalless encounter, Burnley's first since manager Eddie Howe's first game in charge away at Scunthorpe, meant a sixth clean sheet in nine league outings.

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