Unbeaten run continues

We hit the woodwork twice, once in each half, but we really will be kicking ourselves for not winning this one and it was very much a case of two points dropped rather than one gained. I can't recall Palace ever really troubling us and we dominated large parts of the game.

Steve Cotterill made two changes to the side that had drawn at Hull. As expected Phil Bardsley wasn't fit to play and in came John McGreal with Frank Sinclair moving to right back. It takes some believing that Johnny Mac has had to wait to claim his place back after injury, a sign that the squad is stronger and the side are playing well.

The other change saw the return of Micah Hyde with Kyle Lafferty dropping out and Graham Branch going up front alongside Andy Gray. Again there was no sign whatsoever of Michael Ricketts, and there's not been a word from the club as to whether he is injured or not.

Palace chose to leave Johnson and Freedman on the bench but that meant starting places for Jonathan Macken and Clinton Morrison, two players who cost fees at the beginning of this season we could only dream about. All four of them featured, not one of them threatened us and that is great credit to our defence who were in top form all afternoon.

It wasn't just the defence though and it is difficult to believe that we didn't find the net all afternoon. In a first half where we were much the better side, our best opportunity fell to young Chris McCann following an attack down the right hand side.

James O'Connor got a good cross in although goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, who looks more like a character from a third rate pantomime than a footballer, should have dealt with it. Chris was able to get in a shot and should have scored but saw his effort hit the post.

He wasn't on the pitch much longer, a hamstring problem forced us into a substitution that saw Kyle Lafferty come on and Branchy move onto the left hand side of the midfield. Other efforts failed to find the target including an Alan Mahon free kick which went over the bar.

If we'd been the better side in the first half then we certainly were in the second when we totally dominated Palace. We started to create chances and Kyle should probably have done better with the two that fell to him. He first headed wide from a Branch cross and then when he burst clear down the left his shot was hit tamely straight at the keeper.

Branchy also had a chance but was beaten to the ball by the keeper on the edge of the box when he looked favourite and Gray matched McCann's first half effort by putting a shot against the post when he looked a certain scorer.

Iain Dowie tried to change things but Burnley continued to have the upper hand but a penalty shout failed to impress the somewhat erratic Mike Dean when Jon Harley was fouled as he broke through.

You sensed a goal wouldn't come and when Mahon, who had a mixed afternoon, found himself in space on the right he just needed to roll the ball across for the unmarked Gray. Instead he attempted a difficult shot, put it wide and the last chance was gone.

So a second 0-0 draw over Easter but the first goalless game at the Turf since January of last year in the game against Reading. There was disappointment but just a few weeks ago we would have been mightily relieved to get a point from this game.

The season is ending better than we dared hope and there were once again some very good individual performances. I've picked out four players but Mahon, who got the vote from the sponsors, is not in my top four.

My candidates include both central defenders, James O'Connor and Frank Sinclair and once again, although it was a really close call, I'm going for Frank. I think he's had a really good season and his most recent form has been as good as anything from him over the last two years – and even at full back.

Two games left, against Millwall and Luton, and it would be nice to take the unbeaten run to eight games and even nicer if we could just climb another couple of places to give us a higher placed finish than last season.

And just to think some were worried last month that we were in some danger of being relegated, it shows what a couple of good signings and a bit of confidence can do.

The teams were,

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Frank Sinclair, Michael Duff, John McGreal, Jon Harley, James O'Connor, Micah Hyde, Chris McCann (Kyle Lafferty 39), Alan Mahon, Graham Branch, Andy Gray. Subs not used: Garreth O'Connor, John Spicer, Wade Elliott, Danny Karbassiyoon.

Crystal Palace: Gabor Kiraly, Emmerson Boyce, Gary Borrowdale, Darren Ward, Mark Hudson, Marco Reich, Ben Watson, Mikele Leigertwood (Michael Hughes 61), Tom Soares, Jonathan Macken (Dougie Freedman 69), Clinton Morrison (Andy Johnson 67). Subs not used: Julian Speroni, Danny Butterfield.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Attendance: 11,449.