Burnley 0 - 0 Plymouth Argyle

Burnley 0-0 Plymouth

Updated: August 30, 2008, 5:39 PM UK

Chris Eagles was sent off for Burnley in a drab goalless draw as the Clarets and Plymouth demonstrated why they have both still to win in the Coca-Cola Championship this season.

Eagles, a summer signing from Manchester United, was shown a straight red card for foul and abusive language with eight minutes remaining to complete a frustrating afternoon for the home side at Turf Moor.

The two sides had scored just three goals between them in their opening three Championship games.

Chances were at a premium at both ends and although Burnley were marginally the better side, they failed to do enough to secure all three points.

Plymouth handed a debut to Paul Gallagher after the forward signed on an emergency loan deal from Blackburn this morning.

The 24-year-old Scot will complete the formalities of a season-long loan move to Home Park on Monday.

There was also a debutant in the Burnley line-up, with Scottish defender Russell Anderson handed a start following his loan move from Sunderland.

Gallagher could have made an instant impact for the visitors but failed to hit the target with a header following a cross from Jason Puncheon.

Luke Summerfield also failed to test Clarets goalkeeper Brian Jensen 11 minutes in, flashing his shot wide from just outside the penalty area.

Burnley gradually got into their stride and Eagles tested Graham Stack with a free-kick from 25 yards which forced the former Arsenal goalkeeper to make a fine save.

Less than a minute later the Pilgrims were given a let-off when Steven Caldwell missed the target with a header from close range.

Burnley looked the most likely of the teams to open the scoring and Chris McCann had an excellent chance to mark his 100th Championship appearance for the club with a goal, but his volley was saved by the agile Stack.

Caldwell was once again wasteful when he headed wide after a corner from Eagles, and Gallagher missed another chance at the other end of the stroke of half-time.

Burnley boss Owen Coyle turned to Robbie Blake to provide the inventiveness his side were lacking in the opening 45 minutes, with Kevin McDonald withdrawn at the interval.

Both sides showed a distinct lack of quality in the opening exchanges of the second half, but it took a good block from Marcel Seip to divert Blake's vicious strike away from goal.

Summerfield tried his luck from just outside the area at the other end once again, but the under-worked Jensen was not troubled.

And Summerfield was in the thick of the action after 62 minutes, producing a dangerous cross which looked certain to be converted by Krisztian Timar, only for the big defender to direct his header wide of the post.

Coyle made a substitution with 20 minutes remaining, with midfielder Wade Elliott replacing Ade Akinbiyi, but a lack of quality in the final third left the strikers starved of service.

Then the game sprung into life when Eagles was dismissed eight minutes from time.

But despite their extra man, Plymouth failed to fashion a winner and Stack had to make one last save from Joey Gudjonsson to deny Coyle's side.