Kyle ends the season in style

The point was no more than the Clarets deserved, we really should have been collecting all three this afternoon after an excellent second half show, but it wasn't to be and Beresford, so often a hero for the Clarets in the past, was one of the reasons why. Our former keeper was in top form, and made two really outstanding saves.

Steve Cotterill had said we wanted to bring the curtain down with a performance, and one certainly better than last week's at Millwall, and he made three changes to that side. As expected John Spicer deputised at full back in the absence of both Phil Bardsley and John McGreal, whilst youngsters Chris McCann and Kyle Lafferty were preferred to Micah Hyde and loan striker Michael Ricketts.

It was a much improved showing and right from the start we caused the visitors some problems, with Alan Mahon and James O'Connor pulling the strings in midfield. O'Connor should probably have given us the lead after great work by Kyle down the left hand side but his shot was blocked.

Kyle himself was the next to come close when he latched on to a parry from Beresford but the keeper was quick to react and he saved well to keep his side level and then O'Connor was back in the thick of things again but this time he saw his effort cleared off the line after Michael Duff should have done better with a header.

At this stage Luton were somewhat fortunate to still be level but things got even better for them just before half time when Rowan Vine got on the end of a ball threaded through to leave Brian Jensen with no chance as he struck a shot into the bottom corner. It was a stunner, hardly deserved, but we went in a goal down at half time.

Half time saw David Eyres make the half time draw and he was joined on the Turf Moor pitch by his former team mate Steve Davis before another former Claret Les Shannon, took a bow from the Bob Lord Stan. All three of them received superb ovations from the crowd.

Now we went into our last forty-five minutes of football for the season and we got better in the second half and totally dominated, but for much of the time Luton survived. They blocked shots, they cleared off the line, and when the defence was beaten then Beresford was there to make the saves. One from Kyle was out of the top drawer and he did well to get down to a James O'Connor header.

Steve Cotterill decided to change things and Garreth O'Connor came on for Branchy and almost immediately we were level. It was James O'Connor who slipped the ball to Kyle on the edge of the box but there was still plenty for him to do – but his turn on the outside of the defender gave him the chance and this time he was making no mistake.

From then on it was just a matter of whether we could get another, Garreth O'Connor turned in a superb little cameo performance at the end, this was so much better from him and he probably came the closest to grabbing the winner.

It wasn't to be, we had to settle for a point and seventeenth in the league, but there were some very positive signs out there which left even some of our most critical fans leaving with a belief that we can move forward next season.

There were some outstanding individual performances as well. James O'Connor was at his best in the midfield whilst we saw enough from Alan Mahon to know just what an asset he is going to be next season.

Captain Frank came close to getting my man of the match vote, and with just over twelve minutes to go he was winning it, but then came the goal and that swayed me and added to his overall performance then Kyle gets it, he looked a Championship striker today.

So that's it, a break for the Clarets and a World Cup to look forward to. So for now, it's arrivederci, and see you in Italy in July.

The teams were,

Burnley: Brian Jensen, John Spicer, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, Jon Harley, Alan Mahon (Wade Elliott 89), James O'Connor, Chris McCann, Graham Branch (Garreth O'Connor 77), Andy Gray, Kyle Lafferty (Michael Ricketts 87). Subs not used: Micah Hyde, Danny Karbassiyoon.

Luton: Marlon Beresford, Kevin Foley, Keith Keane, Leon Barnett, Dean Morgan (Danny Stevens 75), Kevin Nicholls (Peter Holmes 75), Ahmet Brkovic (David Bell 87), Warren Feeney, Enoch Showunmi, Rowan Vine, Steve Howard. Subs not used: Dean Brill, Calvin Andrew.

Referee: Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire).

Attendance: 12,473.