It was a quiet and surreal atmosphere today

Last updated : 30 September 2002 By Tony Scholes

Things are certainly looking much better for the Clarets after a dreadful start to the season came to a head following the disastrous effort at Reading. Twelve points from six games, championship form, has seen us climb six places in the table.

Franchise boss Stuart Murdoch decided to talk about the game afterwards rather than take time to slag off the real Wimbledon fans but wasn’t happy about his team’s performance.

"There was only one goal in the match but we only had one shot and you will not win many matches having one shot. The enthusiasm and endeavour was better than it was last week but we have lost 1-0 again. Until we find our shooting boots we are not likely to score many goals.

"In the first half we had a couple of decent crosses and I took Neil Shipperley off to change things around and see if we could hurt them. Damien Francis got a toe on to a ball on the edge of the six-yard box but it went wide. On another day that might have gone in.

"We dealt with the pressure quite well but knew we would have to, coming to Burnley, but we need to find something up front. There were though better chances in the game than the one that led to the goal.

"Jobi McAnuff has been a constant threat to most teams this season, he’s a good player and he will get better. He was the only one of our players to have a shot.

"It was lovely to come here with all those people in the ground," he said. "It doesn't matter if they are shouting for you or against you, at least there is a bit of atmosphere."

Stan was a happy man but did think the crowd had been strangely quiet despite the good performance. He said after the game,

"I thought we created a lot of chances but I said at half time that if we kept doing that sooner or later we would get a goal. We created numerous chances but they only had one shot from their outside right and then one or two bits and pieces but it will always be a bit edgy.

"We can play better but we have gone seven without loss despite not playing as well as we can. But we will keep improving and wins breed confidence. We have done extremely well after the first four games because we are playing a 42 match season. We deserved the win, we created numerous chances and it was nice to get a clean sheet again. When we start playing well we should be okay.

"It was a quiet and surreal atmosphere today for some reason. I don’t know whether we have to give them something to shout about but I though we played some decent stuff today. In the second lot they were very good once we got the goal."

Little earns Burnley cheers

by Rob Stewart (Sunday Times)

DIE-HARD Wimbledon fans have always been a hardy breed, but the intrepid souls who made the journey north to Burnley must have left like Morrissey on a bad day after this reverse, their third in succession.

Those supporters will not need reminding that it was at this very ground back in 1975 that the Southern League side announced they were a force to be reckoned with, humbling then First Division Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup.

How times have changed. This time around they looked a dispirited bunch, on and off the pitch, as they whimpered to defeat.

To compound their misery, it was Wimbledon-born Glen Little who struck the only goal of the game in the 51st minute for the Clarets, but it could and should have been a lot more, with Dons keeper Kelvin Davis their best player by some way in a one-sided encounter.

Davis was on top form as he warded off a Burnley side that is now unbeaten in seven matches.

Dons boss Stuart Murdoch had no complaints. He even tried to inject some humour into his side’s plight.

"It was lovely to come here and see all those people — you want to come to Selhurst Park," he joked. "It’s a difficult situation, but we can’t do anything about it, we just have to play better. The attitude and endeavour were better than last week, but we’ve had only one serious shot on goal."

The only surprise of the match was that it took until six minutes into the second half for Burnley to go ahead. Gareth Taylor twice went close in the opening period after Little had spurned a great chance following fine work from Robbie Blake, and the Turf Moor supporters’ increasing impatience reached its peak when Little was greeted with boos after a particularly wasteful effort.

When the goal finally came, the relief that greeted it was tangible. Lee Briscoe found time and space on the Dons’ right flank, and after Alan Moore’s clever step-over had wrong-footed Davis, Little made no mistake with a low left-foot drive.

Now greeted with cheers, Little almost added a second with a 20-yard curler that Davis somehow managed to claw round the post.

What little threat the south Londoners posed was offered by Joel McAnuff, and Damien Francis almost poked home an improbable equaliser six minutes from time after indecision in the home defence.

Burnley are now clawing their way back up the table after propping up the pile last month, and boss Stan Ternent believes both Little and his side can only improve.

"Glen has had a virus for most of the season and he’s still not over it," revealed Ternent. "But he’s still a class act and is on the way back. We created enough chances to have won 5-0."