A TEMPESTUOUS affair at Turf Moor ended in a two-all draw as Watford continued their fine away form in their promotion-chasing campaign.
It was a typically cut-and-thrust affair in poor weather conditions and the game certainly didn't lack drama.
The Hornets swept into the lead through the head of talismanic centre-forward Darius Henderson and took that advantage in to the break. But the real action was to come in the last third of this intriguing affair where the substitutes would have the final say.
First, Robbie Blake, on for the ineffective Ade Akinbiyi, netted an equaliser for the home side, which looked to have secured a point.
Yet no sooner had the Clarets levelled, than did Watford's own Jordan Stewart rise from the bench to put the 'Orns back in to the lead.
He might have had the final say but for Blake, who came back to haunt the visitors within seconds of the Stewart strike, bagging another late leveller for an impressive brace of goals.
Following last week's goalless draw with Burnley's Lancashire rivals Preston, Aidy Boothroyd decided not to tinker with a side that have gone seven matches unbeaten in the Championship.
Andy Cole, the legendary Newcastle and Manchester United striker, returned to the Clarets' XI as Owen Coyle made that the only change to the side that beat Coventry City 2-0 at the same venue on Tuesday night.
Former Hornet Clarke Carlisle started against his old club for the first time since leaving in the summer.
Within the first 30 seconds the Hornets had forced a corner and although it was poorly struck by Jobi McAnuff it did, at least, set a bright opening tone for the first stretches of this Northern trip.
Kyle Lafferty, a known threat for any side facing Burnley, should have been the one to open the scoring however, as on their first foray into the Hornets' half, the Belfast-born forward tore away from Dan Shittu before delivering his final effort just wide of a sprawling Richard Lee.
The blustery conditions weren't exactly helping anyone but no-one could blame the weather for an extraordinary set of events in the 10th minute.
With Leigh Bromby facing his own goal he put a terribly short ball in to the path of 'keeper Lee, whose clearance smacked back off the on-rushing Cole, and after pin-balling back in to the area it fell to Akinbiyi who contrived to miss the easiest of chances.
Just seven yards from a completely open net the former Leicester City striker hooked his first time shot badly wide of the goal. It was certainly to become the clear contender for miss of the season and how Burnley were to rue that and other missed opportunities.
The home side were queuing up to score and next to miss was Steven Caldwell, who couldn't direct Lafferty's dangerous out-swinging free-kick in to the net.
Watford looked a little rattled and took their time to rebuild their composure, but that they did, and in some style too as the clock ticked to the mid-point of the half.
Nathan Ellington escaped well in to space on the right and after his cross was blocked for a corner, the Hornets were poised and able to strike.
McAnuff, making amends for his previous flag kick, whipped in a delightful cross to the unmarked Henderson who powered on to the ball to head home an early lead.
It was the striker's 12th of the season but remarkably his first headed goal for almost two years, after his last against Ipswich Town in 2006.
Watford should have doubled their lead quite easily just moments later when this time Ellington beat a high line the Burnley defence were holding to break through one-on-one. With time to compose himself, his eventual strike was excellently saved by Brian Jensen.
As the rebound broke to the edge of the area, Henderson launched a stinging drive at goal, which was blocked away for a corner. However well Burnley had played, in this instance they were fortunate not to be two-down against the run of play.
A splendid passage of play then ensued from the yellow army, as Ellington and Henderson combined to play in McAnuff, whose acute angled drive was sent just wide of Jensen's left-hand post.
McAnuff, easily in his best form in a Watford shirt, tested Jensen once again with a low drive, after Ellington held the ball up well on the edge of the area for his forward thinking colleague.
As the half-time whistle blew the home fans were left scratching their heads as to quite how they found themselves trailing at the break. Watford, on the other hand, wouldn't have particularly cared.
The second half began with rain driving in to the Lancashire venue, as Watford looked to see home their slender advantage.
Akinbiyi, who wasn't enjoying his afternoon to date, was further frustrated at the start of the period as he saw a header ruled out for a slender offside decision, much to the fury of an incandescent home crowd.
Burnley were not a happy camp and after a series of challenges saw the home side robbed of the ball, both Akinbiyi and Cole talked themselves into the referee's notebook.
As he did last week against Preston, Boothroyd moved to further strengthen his back line, when Jay DeMerit was introduced for Adrian Mariappa with an hour of the game gone. That saw Bromby move to the right-back position.
Five minutes later Akinbiyi was at it again. This time Lafferty cut in from the left and struck an excellent effort to force a low save from Lee. Following up, Akinbiyi simply had to nod the ball past the stricken 'keeper - he headed it over the goal.
The pathetic efforts of three Burnley fans to take matters into their own hands made an absolute mockery of the security at Turf Moor, as the assailants ran on to the pitch and straight at the Watford fans. There were no Burnley stewards in sight and anything may have happened as they strode undeterred past Lee - alarmingly, the referee allowed play to continue.
Bookings followed for Caldwell and Henderson, who was lucky not to have escaped further punishment having caught Clarets' 'keeper Jensen after the ball had gone.
Both sides made changes in the moments that followed, Ellington replaced by Steven Kabba and Burnley's Akinbiyi taken off for Blake's introduction.
Burnley forced a corner form their next attack and Chris McCann was the man who struck the post from Blake's accurate centre, before Watford eventually cleared.
Blake's introduction had been effective though and almost immediately he found the touch that Akinbiyi had been lacking, latching on to Cole's ball to strike home over and past Lee, which sent the home fans into raptures.
In between, McAnuff had spurned a glorious chance as he inaccurately fired high over the crossbar when cutting into space from the right.
Jordan Stewart was brought on late in to the game, as Tommy Smith was sacrificed for further solidity.
But, as he has done in game after game this season the left-back showed a greater propensity to go for goal and much to the surprise of everyone inside the ground the former Leicester man connected with Henderson's knock-down to smash the ball first time past Jensen.
It was only Stewart's second goal of his Watford career and looked to be the perfect way to celebrate his birthday this coming Monday.
Sadly, the gloss was taken off that as more late drama ensued with Blake again proving to be the Clarets' super-sub, latching on to a loose Jon Harley crossfield ball to neatly stroke home beyond Lee for the second time in the afternoon.
BURNLEY (4-4-2): Jensen; Harley, Carlisle, Caldwell, Alexander; Elliot, J O'Conner, McCann, Lafferty; Cole, Akinbiyi (Blake 72). Subs: Kiraly (gk), Gudjonsson, Randall, Unsworth.
WATFORD (4-4-2): Lee (c); Mariappa (DeMerit 61), Bromby, Shittu, Sadler; Smith (Stewart 82), O'Toole, Eustace, McAnuff; Ellington (Kabba 72), Henderson. Subs not used: Poom (gk), John.
BOOKINGS: BURNLEY; Cole (dissent, 53), Akinbiyi (dissent, 53), Caldwell (professional foul, 69). WATFORD; Henderson (professional foul, 71).
SENDINGS-OFF: BURNLEY; none. WATFORD; none.
GOALS: BURNLEY; Blake (73), Blake (87). WATFORD; Henderson (23), Stewart (84).
REFEREE: Mr D Whitestone
ATTENDANCE: 13, 677 (604 Watford supporters).
