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It is 'Fortress Colchester' we were told ahead of the game. There's no doubt they had that remarkable run of wins there last season and only West Brom and Palace have recorded wins at the tiny ground in the last twelve months.
You know what you're going to get, you know there's going to be an aerial bombardment, and that's how they got their goals yesterday, but in truth we had very little to deal with and for so much of this game we simply outplayed them.
Michael Duff was back from injury to take his place at right back but the interesting news was the selection in midfield. Out went the badly out of form Joey Gudjonsson but his place was taken, not by James O'Connor but by new signing Graham Alexander. Neither Joey nor Jimmy even made the bench.
On the left hand side of the midfield Mahon, who did so well as a substitute against Oldham was preferred to either Steve Jones or the well again Jon Harley. Otherwise, with Gabor Kiraly injured, it was same again and the expected line up.
At Scunthorpe two weeks ago we started the game on the attack and should have won it during that period before fading away. If we thought losing that game was set to force a change in ideas then it was quickly forgotten as the Clarets took the game to the home side right from the off.
We had an early penalty shout for handball that was waved away. From the other end of the ground it was impossible to judge, but we were soon to learn that only the blatantly obvious decisions would go our way on an afternoon when referee Phil Joslin turned in the classic 'homer' performance.
Penalty or not we didn't have to wait much longer to take the lead. A cross to the far post by Duff was beyond goalkeeper Dean Gerken but one of his defenders got a head to it to clear. Only as far as Mahon on the left who crashed it home to send the Burnley fans in the shed at the other end delirious.
If we thought that would spur Colchester on we soon found that it had the reverse effect and we lifted our performance even more. The major threat from the home side looked to be second referee Teddy Sheringham who was having a lot of influence in winning them dubious decisions.
He's a class act, or should I say he was a class act. He didn't do his reputation any favours with me with his attitude in this game, but having played for the likes of Spurs and Manchester United I did wonder what the hell he was doing playing here.
Anyway, enough of Sheringham, the best football was being played down the other end and we got ourselves another cracker of a goal to double the lead. Again it came from the right hand side. Alexander, so impressive in his midfield role, played a major part, as did Duff, and we got the ball out to Wade Elliott on the right wing. Wade's cross was met by Andy Gray who volleyed home first time.
It's the first time we've been two goals in front away from home since the 2-0 win at Luton last October, and we were enjoying this one. It wasn't one way traffic though and although we remained the better side there were a couple of anxious moments, including one good save from the Beast following a very strangely awarded free kick.
Then came a blow right on half time. Just as we looked to be heading in with a two goal lead they got their goal. Now we know when it comes it will come from a free kick or a header, and on this occasion it was the latter as Kevin Lisbie got up to head home a left wing cross.
Half time came, we were in front, but you couldn't be anything other than disappointed having conceded that goal right on the whistle. We deserved better than 2-1, and there was now the worry that they would really come at us in the second half.
They did just that, for five minutes at least, and we had to handle ball after ball into our box. I lost count of the number of headers that our defenders won, but win them they did and we survived the onslaught without Jensen ever being seriously called into action.
We'd seen them off, and then proceeded to take the game to them again and dominate the play. We got our two goal lead back and it wasn't possible even for Mr Joslin to ignore this one as the defender tripped Chris McCann in the box.
Up stepped Gray and if you want the perfect penalty this was it. To the goalkeepers right it flew in and we were treated to the goal celebration right in front of us. Now I'm not saying you are close to the action there, but it was more than possible to have had a conversation with the players we were so close.
Just before that goal Alexander had been down with cramp and soon after he went down again. This time his impressive debut was at an end and he was replaced by John Spicer. Make no mistake, Spice did ever so well after coming on as we continued to take the game to them.
How we didn't increase the lead I'll never know, so much on top were we. On came Ade Akinbiyi for Robbie Blake and Ade gave us a superb cameo performance. He frightened them to death, particularly down our left hand side, and at least twice set up opportunities that probably should have wrapped up the points.
However there was a sting in the tail of the wounded home side. As the clock showed just over two minutes of normal time to go they pulled a goal back, big substitute Adam Virgo heading in a ball from the right.
We knew what was coming now, but we knew we didn't have long to survive, that was until Joslin conjured up his last piece of 'homer' magic. Incredibly five minutes of extra time were added on, and worse still he didn't stop there and carried on until we'd played almost seven minutes.
It was played down the far end mainly, although Ade made one brilliant run to take some time away from them. Even so they didn't really threaten us with anything resembling a chance and it was the Layer Road End Shed that went up at the final whistle.
We'd won it, we'd deservedly won it, and the journey home was going to be a good one. There had been good performances all over the pitch. At the back we stood up to them superbly, the midfield back them up and prompted going forwards, and once Mahon got into his stride what an effect he had.
Stephen Jordan I thought turned in his best performance yet in Burnley colours and Chris McCann was back to form in the centre of the midfield. But up front we were too good for them, and they just couldn't handle Andy Gray. What an afternoon he had with two goals more goals. I still wonder how on earth we got him for the money we paid, and he was without doubt my man of the match.
Make no mistake, this is a difficult place to come and get a result, they make damn sure of that with the way they play. But we were by far the better side, we deserved these points after an excellent away performance. I could just have done without those last few worrying minutes.
The teams were;
Colchester: Dean Gerken, John White (Kevin McLeod 34), Pat Baldwin, Matt Connolly, George Elokobi, Karl Duguid, Kem Izzet (Luke Guttridge 85), Johnnie Jackson, Mark Yeates (Adam Virgo 77), Kevin Lisbie, Teddy Sheringham. Subs not used: Aidan Davison, Danny Granville.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander (John Spicer 68), Chris McCann, Alan Mahon (Jon Harley 84), Robbie Blake (Ade Akinbiyi 76), Andy Gray. Subs not used: David Unsworth, Steve Jones.
Referee: Phil Joslin (Newark, or possibly Colchester based on this performance).
Attendance: 4,925.