Robbie Blake, centre, celebrates his early goal for Burnley
Sir Alex Ferguson discovered the true cost of his decision to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid as Robbie Blake's first-half goal sent his toothless champions to defeat at Turf Moor.
Blake, the journeyman forward who cost Burnley just £250,000 when rejoining the club from Leeds United in 2007, marked Turf Moor's first top flight fixture for 33 years with a goal to fit the occasion, scoring with a blistering 18th minute volley.
But despite the romance of Burnley's famous victory, United only had themselves to blame.
Michael Carrick's missed penalty, Michael Owen's painful search for form and Wayne Rooney's frustration almost earning a red card as a result of a brutal late challenge on Tyrone Mears were the sorry tale of United's evening.
And it was a night when the absence of Ronaldo was telling. The Portuguese would certainly have fancied his chances from the penalty spot and, as Burnley tired late in the game, he would have relished the opportunity to put Owen Coyle's team to the sword.
For all of his faults, Ronaldo was deadly against lesser mortals. United are simply not the same without him.
Burnley chairman Barry Kilby had declared prior to this game that his club were the 'Sandinistas of the Premier League' due to this determination that Owen Coyle's team strike a blow for the little man against the established order, but the top tier of English football is no easy place to break the mould.
Stoke City afforded Burnley a reality check by sending the promoted outfit to an opening day defeat at the weekend and United, with a recent record of 17 successive victories against promoted teams, would surely emerge unbowed from Turf Moor.
But the champions were strangely impotent in the first-half as Burnley, spurred on by the bearpit atmosphere, dominated and deservedly took the lead through Blake's stunning volley.
Ferguson's starting XI certainly encouraged Burnley to be adventurous. With Ji-sung Park and Anderson deployed on both flanks, United lacked the attacking instinct of Nani and Antonio Valencia. How they could have done with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The home side took advantage and £3 million record signing Steven Fletcher and Chris McCann both went close with efforts inside the United penalty area before Blake scored Burnley's first top-flight goal since 1976.
United, missing the injured Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic at the heart of their back four, allowed Martin Paterson to collect Wade Elliott's pass twelve yards from Ben Foster's goal, but the England goalkeeper blocked Paterson's initial shot.
The danger was not cleared, however, and after two scuffed United attempts to kick the ball to safety, Blake opened the scoring with a vicious right-foot volley from close range that arrowed past Foster at the near post.
Turf Moor shook with Blake's goal, but the noise levels did not subside and Burnley capitalised on the raucous backing by continuing to push United onto the back foot.
Fletcher attempted to beat Foster with scissor-kick on 23 minutes before United finally gained a foothold in midfield, with Wayne Rooney dropping back to orchestrate attacking forays.
Rooney twice shot wide from 25 yards, prompting ironic chants of 'You're not Robbie Blake!' from the Burnley supporters, but United were not seriously testing goalkeeper Brian Jensen.
Owen, in front of the watching Fabio Capello, directed a glancing header wide from a Wes Brown cross before the United forward's pass to Patrice Evra on 45 minutes led to referee Alan Wiley awarding the visitors a penalty as a result of Blake's rash challenge on the French full-back.
Here was United's chance, yet instead of grasping the opportunity to score his 100th United goal, Rooney allowed Carrick to take the spot-kick. Bad decision.
Jensen's penalty shoot-out heroics against Chelsea in the Carling Cup last season underlined his ability to outfox opponents from 12 yards and the Dane made easy work of saving Carrick's penalty.
Burnley's challenge in the second-half was merely to hold out. Without Ronaldo, United lack the lethal pace on the counter attack that so often rescued them in the past, but in Rooney and Ryan Giggs, they still possessed the players capable of killing the home side with a pass.
And as United pushed Burnley deeper and deeper, the cracks began to show in Coyle's team. Graham Alexander, at 37 the Premier League's oldest outfield player, was tiring in midfield and the back four found itself under increasing pressure.
Park had a shot blocked, Rooney sent another long range strike off target and Jensen kept out Park's low drive from 20 yards with a fine diving save.
Ferguson withdrew the ineffective Owen and sent on Dimitar Berbatov, but Burnley merely stiffened their resolve and midfielders became defenders as the clock ticked towards a nervous finale.
And despite their obvious fatigue, Burnley held on to record their first victory over United since 1968.
Blake, the journeyman forward who cost Burnley just £250,000 when rejoining the club from Leeds United in 2007, marked Turf Moor's first top flight fixture for 33 years with a goal to fit the occasion, scoring with a blistering 18th minute volley.
But despite the romance of Burnley's famous victory, United only had themselves to blame.
Michael Carrick's missed penalty, Michael Owen's painful search for form and Wayne Rooney's frustration almost earning a red card as a result of a brutal late challenge on Tyrone Mears were the sorry tale of United's evening.
And it was a night when the absence of Ronaldo was telling. The Portuguese would certainly have fancied his chances from the penalty spot and, as Burnley tired late in the game, he would have relished the opportunity to put Owen Coyle's team to the sword.
For all of his faults, Ronaldo was deadly against lesser mortals. United are simply not the same without him.
Burnley chairman Barry Kilby had declared prior to this game that his club were the 'Sandinistas of the Premier League' due to this determination that Owen Coyle's team strike a blow for the little man against the established order, but the top tier of English football is no easy place to break the mould.
Stoke City afforded Burnley a reality check by sending the promoted outfit to an opening day defeat at the weekend and United, with a recent record of 17 successive victories against promoted teams, would surely emerge unbowed from Turf Moor.
But the champions were strangely impotent in the first-half as Burnley, spurred on by the bearpit atmosphere, dominated and deservedly took the lead through Blake's stunning volley.
Ferguson's starting XI certainly encouraged Burnley to be adventurous. With Ji-sung Park and Anderson deployed on both flanks, United lacked the attacking instinct of Nani and Antonio Valencia. How they could have done with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The home side took advantage and £3 million record signing Steven Fletcher and Chris McCann both went close with efforts inside the United penalty area before Blake scored Burnley's first top-flight goal since 1976.
United, missing the injured Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic at the heart of their back four, allowed Martin Paterson to collect Wade Elliott's pass twelve yards from Ben Foster's goal, but the England goalkeeper blocked Paterson's initial shot.
The danger was not cleared, however, and after two scuffed United attempts to kick the ball to safety, Blake opened the scoring with a vicious right-foot volley from close range that arrowed past Foster at the near post.
Turf Moor shook with Blake's goal, but the noise levels did not subside and Burnley capitalised on the raucous backing by continuing to push United onto the back foot.
Fletcher attempted to beat Foster with scissor-kick on 23 minutes before United finally gained a foothold in midfield, with Wayne Rooney dropping back to orchestrate attacking forays.
Rooney twice shot wide from 25 yards, prompting ironic chants of 'You're not Robbie Blake!' from the Burnley supporters, but United were not seriously testing goalkeeper Brian Jensen.
Owen, in front of the watching Fabio Capello, directed a glancing header wide from a Wes Brown cross before the United forward's pass to Patrice Evra on 45 minutes led to referee Alan Wiley awarding the visitors a penalty as a result of Blake's rash challenge on the French full-back.
Here was United's chance, yet instead of grasping the opportunity to score his 100th United goal, Rooney allowed Carrick to take the spot-kick. Bad decision.
Jensen's penalty shoot-out heroics against Chelsea in the Carling Cup last season underlined his ability to outfox opponents from 12 yards and the Dane made easy work of saving Carrick's penalty.
Burnley's challenge in the second-half was merely to hold out. Without Ronaldo, United lack the lethal pace on the counter attack that so often rescued them in the past, but in Rooney and Ryan Giggs, they still possessed the players capable of killing the home side with a pass.
And as United pushed Burnley deeper and deeper, the cracks began to show in Coyle's team. Graham Alexander, at 37 the Premier League's oldest outfield player, was tiring in midfield and the back four found itself under increasing pressure.
Park had a shot blocked, Rooney sent another long range strike off target and Jensen kept out Park's low drive from 20 yards with a fine diving save.
Ferguson withdrew the ineffective Owen and sent on Dimitar Berbatov, but Burnley merely stiffened their resolve and midfielders became defenders as the clock ticked towards a nervous finale.
And despite their obvious fatigue, Burnley held on to record their first victory over United since 1968.
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