It's worse than five years ago

Last updated : 27 April 2003 By Tony Scholes

Only one club, Brighton, had scored less away goals that Sheffield Wednesday before yesterday. Mind you Watford would have been way behind but for their recent seven.

Even the Sheffield Wednesday web site had a laugh at our expense, they opened up their match report with the following paragraph.

"Wednesday hitting seven – without their strikers getting on the scoresheet – two substituted keepers, a sending off, a 17 year old debutant hitting the target, and own goal and Steven Haslam’s second goal in over 130 SWFC appearances. Burnley might be used to these sort of games, after 7-4 and 6-5 defeats earlier this season, But Owls’ fans certainly aren’t."

Wednesday boss Chris Turner was probably as stunned as everyone after the game but reflected on the continuation of their recent form.

"We’ve only lost one of the last eight," said Turner. "We’ve been relegated because we had a bad start to the season. We certainly haven’t been playing like a relegation team. We have improved as a team but have just run out of time.

"The win should give all our supporters a lift. Games are made on goals and those first two definitely gave us a lift. It wasn’t a good advertisement for goalkeepers, there were four or five errors from them but that’s football and you have to make sure you capitalise on them.

"None of our strikers scored despite getting seven but I thought Grant Holt led the line well to say it is only his second start and Shefki Kuqi was a bit more like himself today. They caused the Burnley defenders a lot of problems and goals were flying in.

"When you turn up here and see the support we had it lifts everybody. We wanted to finish the season off well and to win our last two games but to score seven away from home and have the chance to score twelve was good to see. It gives the supporters a lift for next season and made the journey worthwhile.

"I won’t get carried away though by what has happened here but our club is now going forward."

Stan is getting more and more lost for words as yet again he is stunned by what is nothing other than an inept performance and a surrender.

"We’ve made five bad mistakes," said Stan referring to some of the goals. "They only scored one good goal and that was at the end when it didn’t matter. We have given them five goals.

"It’s worse than five years ago and I can’t wait for the summer so I can build a new team, I have to. The end of this season can’t come quick enough."

Speaking about Ian Moore Stan said, "He got what he deserved. The referee tells me he kicked the man and he deserved to be sent off. I will be dealing with it internally."

And on the two youngsters Richard Chaplow and Matt O’Neill he added, "They did very well again and a few of the other players can take a leaf out of their book."