Brizzle for Clarets ahead of Christmas

Last updated : 19 December 2008 By Tony Scholes

This game sees the Clarets kick off the second half of the season in fourth place with no fewer than forty points from the first half. It's more points than in any season since the 2001/02 season when we had six more at this stage.

Now all we need to do is something we haven't done since the promotion season of 1999/2000 and that's maintain the first half season form through the second half.

It's a tall order but one we can achieve and hopefully we'll start it off with this game against a Bristol City side who are currently in fifteenth place in the table.

And there again, as one former Burnley manager said, "We'll get to fifty points and then crack on and see where it takes us."

Our Opponents


Bristol City were one game away from playing Premier League football this season. Having won promotion from League One in 2006/07 they had an excellent first season in the Championship and making the play offs.

A semi-final win against Crystal Palace took them to Wembley for the final but they succumbed to a Dean Windass goal that saw Hull go up and left them with a second season in the Championship.

Manager Gary Johnson didn't make too many changes to his squad in the summer but there was one big transfer in and one out. Nick Carle left for Crystal Palace in a £1 million deal and with a flea in his ear from Johnson whilst Nicky Maynard arrived from Crewe in a £2.25 million transfer.

The second season hasn't quite been up to the standards of last season and the main problem seems to be that they draw far too many games. Already they've drawn ten games with seven out of eleven games at home.

Of the other four home games they've won two and lost two. They've beaten Doncaster and Norwich whilst Birmingham and Reading are the two sides to take maximum points.

Click HERE to see all Bristol City's results this season


A tougher season was always expected after their achievements of last season. They certainly won't be dragged into any relegation battle but whether they are able to get themselves towards the play offs remains to be seen.

Team News


Bristol City will definitely be without Louis Carey and Ivan Sproule, both of whom are suspended. Neither will full back Bradley Orr feature. He's not being considered having turned down the offer of a new contract.

There are also doubts over Brian Wilson (illness), Dele Adebola (dead leg) and Cole Skuse (knee) and all three will be checked before the side is named, although only Skuse would be likely to make the starting eleven.

If, as expected, they all make it they will line up: Adriano Basso, Jamie McAllister, Jamie McCombe, Liam Fontaine, Gavin Williams, David Noble, Cole Skuse, Marvin Elliott, Michael McIndoe, Stern John, Nicky Maynard. Subs from: Stephen Henderson, James Wilson, Lee Johnson, Lee Trundle, Dele Adebola, Scott Murray.

Click HERE to see the full Bristol City squad


Meanwhile Owen Coyle can welcome back Michael Duff to the squad. Duff has missed the last three games after pulling up with a calf injury in the warm up at Sheffield United. We'll still be without Christian Kalvenes and Kevin McDonald with injury but there are no other problems reported.

I think we might just go with the same side that beat Southampton last week with Duff probably getting a place on the bench.

The likely side is: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Joey Gudjonsson, Chris McCann, Chris Eagles, Robbie Blake, Martin Paterson. Subs from: Diego Penny, Michael Duff, Alan Mahon, Ade Akinbiyi, Jay Rodriguez, Alex MacDonald, Steven Thompson.

Last Season


Clarke Carlisle
Clarke Carlisle - scored the late equaliser
At half time last season at Ashton Gate you wouldn't have expected a four goal game. It had been a fairly dull first half with the Clarets having had their game disrupted when Chris McCann was stretchered off.

Kyle Lafferty was withdrawn at half time after a poor forty-five minutes with John Spicer coming on, and the Clarets immediately got on top and just seven minutes in we took the lead through Andy Gray. Robbie Blake found Wade Elliott who got in a first time shot only to see it come back off the post, but Gray was on hand to turn in the rebound.

And it was almost two but Blake, after a superb run, turned his shot just wide, and form much of that second half it was all Burnley.

Then they introduced Darren Byfield, and given his goalscoring record at Burnley you just worried that he might get an equaliser. He unfortunately did more than that. With ten minutes to go he did equalise and six minutes later incredibly put the home side ahead.

After looking set for victory we were now facing defeat but deep into stoppage time Ade Akinbiyi won a header in the box and Clarke Carlisle stunned the home crowd with an overhead kick to equalise and give us a point from a 2-2 draw.

The teams were;

Bristol City: Adriano Basso, Bradley Orr, Louis Carey, Liam Fontaine, Jamie McAllister, Brian Wilson (Darren Byfield 45), Lee Johnson, Marvin Elliott, Michael McIndoe, Lee Trundle (Cole Skuse 88), Ivan Sproule (Tamas Vasko 78). Subs not used: Chris Weale, Scott Murray.

Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Michael Duff, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Chris McCann (Joey Gudjonsson 20), Kyle Lafferty (John Spicer 45), Robbie Blake (Ade Akinbiyi 75), Andy Gray. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Unsworth.

Previous games against Bristol City


Previous 20 Seasons

Season

Div

Ven

Result

Att

Scorers

1994/95

1

h

1-1

11,067

Robinson

.

.

a

1-1

6,717

Eyres

1995/96

2

h

0-0

9,327

.

..

a

1-0

6,612

Nogan

1996/97

2

h

2-3

9,538

Gleghorn Weller

..

a

1-2

10,013

Smith

1997/98

2

a

1-3

11,136

Barnes

..

h

1-0

10,600

Payton(pen)

1999/2000

2

a

0-0

11,510

.

..

h

2-0

10,175

Cook Cooke

2007/08

C

a

2-2

14,079

Gray Carlisle

..

h

0-1

12,109

.



Click HERE to see all our results against Bristol City