In perhaps the game they have needed it more than any other so far this season, all quality deserted Leeds United.
For newly-promoted sides, games against each other are an opportunity not to be passed up in the search for the points they need to be back for another season in the Premier League.
It is a well-known fact that Daniel Farke wanted an upgrafe on his fourth and fifth-choice wingers this summer, but with Noah Okafor and Willy Gnonto injured, and Daniel James not yet fit enough to start, Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison were the men entrusted to start on eithe side of Leeds' front three.
On a day when almost everyone in white looked distinctly off-colour, it was unfortunte that two of the three really good chances they created fell to the pair. The first was saved, the second missed.
Add in some poor defending and it was only ever likely to end one way. Despite Leeds buffing up their statistics with lots of the ball and plenty of shots, Burnely were very worthy 2-0 winners.
It was no suprrise to see them take the lead as, even 18 minutes in, Leeds were still yet to properly get into the game.
It was they who presented the opportunity, overdoing the short stuff at a corner, then watching Karl Darlow kick an attempted pass to Gabriel Gudmundsson out of play.
Kyle Walker lent the throw-in to Josh Cullen, and produced a lovely cross when he got it back. Lesley Ugochukwu appeared to run off Anton Stach and between centre-backs Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon to head his side in front.
HEAD BOY: Lesley Ugochukwu puts Burnley in front (Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)placeholder image
HEAD BOY: Lesley Ugochukwu puts Burnley in front (Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Leeds have not gone 1-0 up in a game since the opening night of their season.
At that point Burnley stood off, allowing Leeds to at last play some football in their half – until then their only chance of note was Dominic Calvert-Lewin's overhead bicycle kick.
The visitors did little with it, but the chance they created in the 32nd minute really should have been taken.
Former Leeds loanee Jaidon Anthony gave the ball to Harrison – the first team change the Whites had made in five game. He drove forward and slipped in Aaronson for a glorious chance to equalise. Martin Dubravka touched his shot onto a post.
MISS: Brenden Aaronson wasted a good chance for Leeds United (Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)placeholder image
MISS: Brenden Aaronson wasted a good chance for Leeds United (Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
A good cross from the left did not quite fall for Sean Longstaff to volley. Arriving behind him, Jayden Bogle hit his efforts into a defender.
Likewise, Stach just failed to get a touch on an Aaronson cross.
The German did force a save in the 44th minute when Gudmundsson – Leeds' best player by a country mile – was fouled by Anthony as he hurtled towards the area. Dubravka made a flying save from Stach's free-kick, but it needed to be nearer the far post to trouble him.
After an hour Leeds created another really good opportunity and this time it was Harrison who fluffed it.
HOLDING ROLE: Ethan Ampadu gets to grips with Burnley goalscorer Lesley Ugochukwu (Image: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
HOLDING ROLE: Ethan Ampadu gets to grips with Burnley goalscorer Lesley Ugochukwu (Image: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Longstaff's cross found him in lots of space at the far post but he volleyed into the ground and way off target. Another volley from the D when Rodon headed a corner back to him four minutes later was also off target.
Burnley punished them brutally.
Leeds stood off substitute Laum Tchaouna and watched him lash a shot which gave the goalkeeper no chance.
Bogle then topped it with the worse miss of the lot five minutes later.
Substtite Lukas Nmecha nodded the ball across for a tap-in as the full-back arrived at the far post but he somehow cleared the crossbar with his effort, making much better contact with the advertising hoarding he kicked in frustration.
Nmecha then had a chance himself but with Dubravaka coming out at him as he rose to a Gudmundsson cross, he missed the target. With Joel Piroe – another sub – glancing a header so wide inbetween time that James was able to retrieve it and put it back in, it felt like nothing was going to get the visitors on the scoresheet, no matter how hard they pushed.
Struijk had a shot blocked, Piroe stabbed wide when Gudmundsson's latest pull-back was behind him, Rodon headed a corner straight a Dubravka, Calvert-Lewin put an Ao Tanaka cross onto the roof of the net but we were just marking time.
Leeds could have been out there all day and still not scored.
The effort was there, the quality was definitely not.
Burnley: Dubravka; Walker, Tuanzebe, Esteve, Hartman; Cullen, Florentino; Larsen (Tchaouna 58), Ugochukwu (Mejbri 83), Anthony (Barnes 83); Flemming (Laurent 77).
Unused substitutes: Edwards, Weiss, Ekdal, Pires, Broja.
Leeds United: Darlow; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Longstaff, Ampadu (Tanaka 81), Stach (Piroe 73); Aaronson (James 66), Calvert-Lewin, Harrison (Nmecha 66).
Unused substitutes: Perri, Bijol, Bornauw, Justin, Gruev.
Referee: T Robinson (Middleton-on-Sea).