Burnley ended their pre-season with the visit of Serie A team Parma to Turf Moor and two second-half strikes earned them a 2-0 success.
With just seven days before the start of the Premier League campaign this would be the last chance for Clarets boss Sean Dyche to see his players in competitive action before having to decide on his starting line-up for Southampton next Saturday.
Parma certainly provided more determined opposition than Nice in midweek who went down 6-1 to the home side and rarely extended their hosts.
The visitors made all the running in the first half with quick incisive football leading to numerous chances. The first arrived after only a couple of minutes but Yann Karamoh totally mishit from three yards allowing keeper Nick Pope to collect.
Forward Roberto Inglese was proving a handful for the Clarets rearguard and went close with a header which hit the underside of the crossbar and was cleared.
The nearest a laboured home side came to finding the net was through Chris Wood but his ambitious lob sailed harmlessly over.
The Italians have had a difficult time following bankruptcy and subsequent re-formation in 2015, when they were forced to compete in Serie D.
But three successive promotions (first club to achieve this in Italian football) lifted them back into the top-flight and Serie A, where they finished joint 14th last season, 3 points off the drop.
Of equal concern to the Burnley boss, aside from his teams first half performance, was the substitutions of Jack Cork and Robbie Brady, both with apparent injury.
Soon after the restart Pope had his hands stung with a fierce shot from distance by Inglese.
But against the run of play Burnley took the lead as Aaron Lennon's cross was deflected leaving Jay Rodriguez with an easy header into an empty net as the Italians claimed for offside.
Almost immediately the same player doubled the hosts lead, this time with a guided header at the far post from a Matt Lowton delivery.
These quick-fire strikes seemed to deflate Parma who whilst having plenty of possession suddenly found the Burnley rearguard in control.
With Burnley making a plethora of substitutions and the heat beginning to take its toll the game meandered to its conclusion with the Clarets taking their second half chances and Parma failing to make their first 45 minute domination count.
Full Time
Burnley: 2 (Rodriguez 52, 56)
Parma: 0
Att: 4,846
Venue: Turf Moor
