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We are in 12th place (the bottom team in the top half) and Cardiff are just one point and one place behind us (the top of the bottom half). Today's game could determine whether either or both of us finish in the top half of the league although for Cardiff there are more pressing matters.
Back in January we were all delighted to play Arsenal at home in the FA Cup, but at the end of the day we went out and there was to be no cup run. On the same weekend Cardiff won their 3rd round tie at Chasetown. Now who was it that got the better draw?
Cardiff won that, then beat Hereford, Wolves, Middlesbrough and Barnsley and are now preparing for a second trip to the new Wembley in a matter of weeks for the FA Cup Final against Portsmouth. They've even managed to get to football associations at loggerheads with the news this week that our FA (to whom Cardiff are not registered) will nominate them for the UEFA Cup should the final, a decision that has upset the FAW who claim it will put Welsh football back a few years.
It won't happen if former Claret Leighton James gets his way, I presume our former star will be backing Portsmouth to win it. I'd certainly be surprised if he wasn't.
Cardiff's league form has suffered somewhat recently and they've won only one of their last five games, that at home to Blackpool who were in a poor run of form. They haven't won away from home this year in the league, but we do need to ensure they don't complete a Lancashire treble. Their last two away wins both came in December at Blackpool and Preston.
We have to go back twenty years for the last time we played Cardiff in our last home game of the season. That day it was vital for the Welsh club who were on their way to promotion, and on that occasion it was us preparing for a trip to Wembley.
Hopefully the game won't end the same way. Cardiff went in front with 18 minutes to go but George Oghani equalised on 84 minutes. We then got a pitch invasion (the usual end of season stuff) and the game was held up. Eventually it restarted but Cardiff scored again, the linesman unable to flag the clear offside because his view was blocked by home fans. The referee allowed the goal and immediately abandoned the game.
It was Cardiff's last ever win at Burnley - let's keep it that way.
Cardiff boss Dave Jones was not happy with the performance at Wolves in midweek and has demanded more from his side with cup final places up for grabs. Even so he could name the same team for today's clash although there is a chance that Robbie Fowler could make his first appearance in months whilst Trevor Sinclair and Paul Parry could also be in the squad.
Cardiff could line up: Peter Enckelman, Kevin McNaughton, Glenn Loovens, Roger Johnson, Tony Capaldi, Pete Whittingham, Gavin Rae, Stephen McPhail, Joe Ledley, Paul Ramsey, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink. Subs from: Michael Oakes, Darren Purse, Darcy Blake, Steven Thompson, Riccardo Scimeca, Paul Parry, Trevor Sinclair, Robbie Fowler.
The big question for Burnley fans today is whether youngster Alex MacDonald will make the squad for the first time. He's no travelled to Carlisle this morning with the youth team and will report with the first team squad. Time will tell whether he makes it but my hunch is that he'll be in the sixteen and might just get on for his debut.
Elsewhere I think it could be very much the same as the squad that came home from Southampton last week with all three points. Michael Duff was on the bench and Owen Coyle has suggested it is more likely he'll return next week at Crystal Palace. It was against Palace that he last played in September when he suffered his serious knee injury.
Mark Randall has been suffering with illness over the last week and he's unlikely to feature and both Stanislav Varga and Kyle Lafferty are out for the season. Jon Harley is expected to return the squad and could come straight back in for Stephen Jordan.
Our team could be: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake, Ade Akinbiyi, Andrew Cole. Subs from: Gabor Kiraly, Michael Duff, Stephen Jordan, Alan Mahon, John Spicer, Joey Gudjonsson, Alex MacDonald.
When we played Cardiff last season at home the 2-0 win just about ensured we would be in the Championship again this season. After a long run without a win this was our third successive win in six days.
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I'll always remember this game though for the moments ahead of kick off when Turf Moor stood as one, in total silence, to honour a Turf Moor legend. I don't use that word legend very often, but two days before the game our former player, captain, England international, coach, manager and chief scout Brian Miller had passed away after a short illness.
Any fears that the minute's silence, supported on the touchline by some of Dusty's former colleagues, would be disrupted were soon dispelled. You could hear the traffic outside such was the impeccable way it was observed by fans of both clubs. Real football fans showing real respect for a wonderful servant of our club.
We'd won for Brian on the day he died at Birmingham, now we had to go and win for him here, and that's exactly what we did. It took us only four minutes to take the lead. We won a throw on the right hand side and when the ball eventually came into the box it found Andy Gray. Cardiff couldn't clear and the ball eventually dropped for Steve Jones who hammered it home.
It wasn't all Burnley though. James O'Connor cleared a Paul Parry effort of the line and Cardiff should have equalised but Michael Chopra (he used to play for Newcastle by the way) made a real mess of it. I wonder if he still boasts about his former club in the North East.
Even so we hit the post, had another good effort and were worth our lead at half time, and that lead very soon doubled after the break with a real goal of the season contender. Shots from distance tend to win these awards now but this was a fantastic team goal.
All but two of our players were involved in a superb move that finally led to the ball being played out wide to Wade Elliott. The in form winger didn't need a second invitation and got in a brilliant cross to the near post that was met by Paul McVeigh who hammered it home.
The game was won now and we dominated, the only problems we seem to encounter were referee Richard Beeby who upset the home crowd with some incredible decisions. But it was another win, something we'd finally learned to do again.
The teams were;
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Wayne Thomas, Steven Caldwell, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott (Ade Akinbiyi 87), Eric Djemba-Djemba, James O'Connor, Steve Jones, Andy Gray (John Spicer 90), Paul McVeigh (Chris McCann 76). Subs not used: Danny Coyne, Graham Coughlan.
Cardiff: David Forde, Chris Gunter, Darren Purse, Roger Johnson, Kevin McNaughton, Joe Ledley, Stephen McPhail, Pete Whittingham (Steven Thompson 73), Paul Parry (Darcy Blake 68), Michael Chopra, Warren Feeney (Matt Green 56). Subs not used: Neil Alexander, Willo Flood.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1987/88 | 4 | a | 1-2 | 3,401 | Davis |
| . | . | h | 1-2 | 8,421 | Oghani |
1990/91 | 4 | h | 2-1 | 6,348 | Deary Francis |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 3,591 | . |
1991/92 | 4 | a | 2-0 | 16,030 | Randall Conroy |
| . | . | h | 3-1 | 12,408 | Painter Farrell Conroy |
1993/94 | 1 | h | 2-0 | 11,276 | Philliskirk Francis |
| . | . | a | 1-2 | 5,469 | Davis |
1999/2000 | 2 | h | 2-1 | 9,753 | Armstrong Johnrose |
. | . | a | 2-1 | 6,487 | Davis Payton |
2003/04 | 1 | h | 1-1 | 10,866 | Chaplow |
| . | . | a | 0-2 | 13,525 | . |
2004/05 | C | h | 1-0 | 11,200 | Chaplow |
. | . | a | 0-2 | 11,562 | . |
2005/06 | C | h | 3-3 | 10,431 | Elliott(2) J O'Connor |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 10,872 | . |
2006/07 | C | a | 0-1 | 15,744 | . |
. | . | h | 2-0 | 11,347 | Jones McVeigh |
2007/08 | C | a | 1-2 | 12,914 | Akinbiyi |