The lads bought a ticket at the raffle

Last updated : 21 September 2003 By Tony Scholes

A year ago today Bradford’s Uncle Fester look-a-like Nicky Law was left fuming by the performance of referee Mike Dean and the behaviour of Burnley’s Dimitri Papadopoulos but yesterday he aimed is anger in one direction and one direction only, his own players.

"This was unacceptable," said Law, who only a week earlier had turned on his own fans for their lack of support against Preston. "But I have certainly let the players know it," he added.

"Seven or eight of the players went under and I can only apologise to the fans. I couldn’t believe what I saw.

"At half time Burnley must have wondered just how they had got in front but it should never have been 4-0 and the fact that it was 4-0 was down to us and us alone," fumed Law apparently totally unaware that the Clarets had actually put in the shots for all four goals.

"We have a reserve team game on Tuesday and a great number of our players could well find themselves playing in it. We have to get the wrongs put right before Saturday as we cannot go into the Sheffield United game not having done so," he concluded.

No anger from Stan though, he gave the impression that he was a happy man as Burnley returned to winning ways.

"We played very well today," he enthused, "Although it took us a little while to get going. In the second half though I thought we played extremely well and scored some top class goals."

Stan, who unlike any Burnley fan seems to think this fixture is a derby, added, "It was a derby match and it was quite lively to start with and we stuck at it well throughout. We created a lot of chances and today the lads bought a ticket at the raffle and they went in so it worked out well.

"We scored some good goals and to be fair Marlon made a lot of good saves but now we have to maintain this level."

Stan also had words for some of his players starting with Delroy Facey who had astonishingly missed the easiest chance of the afternoon just after half time. "Delroy’s performance deserved a goal and if he keeps getting in those positions then sooner or later he will get one in the net.

"There’s a lot to come from Delroy yet, he is only a young lad but he’s eager to learn and he is doing well for us."

Then it was the turn of another loan player, Blackburn’s Andy Todd, for special praise along with one or two others.

"I thought Andy Todd was magnificent and David May also played well despite playing with a slight injury. Gareth Farrelly’s coming to and did well, he hasn’t played a lot of first team games and the pace and the tempo of the game was quick."

And finally Stan explained the half time substitution of Tony Grant who was replaced by Paul Weller, "Tony Grant also did well but we had to take him off at half time because he was feeling ill with some bug."