Christmas visitors from Yorkshire

Last updated : 26 December 2007 By Tony Scholes

Today is a reminder of my first ever Boxing Day at the Turf. The opponents were Sheffield Wednesday and in what looked like a tight encounter we eventually took the lead through Jimmy Robson just past the hour.

Just over twenty minutes later we led 4-0, two from John Connelly and a Jimmy McIlroy penalty completing the scoring. A repeat of that sort of scoreline would be very much appreciated today.

Whether it is or not, one thing for certain is that things are a lot different than the last time we met Wednesday which was at Hillsborough back in September. Then we were under Steve Cotterill's management whilst Wednesday were pointless and it was their manager Brian Laws who was under pressure. In a strange twist, he could have then become Burnley manager, but having turned things round he is still manager.

They eventually started winning games, and in any case Laws' position must now be far more secure following the departure of chairman Dave Allen, not considered to be one of the most patient with managers.

More recently a disappointing run has seen them slip back to within a point of relegation and they are looking for their first win since beating Barnsley on the last Tuesday in November, the night we won at Watford.

Click HERE to see Wednesday's results this season


We've been saying it a while, and we'll continue to say it until we finally do it, but we do need to start winning home games. Too often this season we've wasted fantastic away results by following it up with a disappointing home performance.

On Saturday at Ipswich we earned ourselves a point against all the odds, taking our unbeaten run away from home to seven games. Now is the time to make that result count by winning in front of our own fans.


Team News

Brian Laws will have to make at least one change from the side beaten at home to Watford. Central defender Michael Johnson has returned to Derby at the end of his three month loan at Hillsborough and they must now wait to try and sign him on a permanent deal once we are into January.

There are options. Steve Watson could move back from midfield with Yoann Folly returning in the midfield, or they could opt for Peter Gilbert coming back in at left back with Tommy Spurr moving into the centre. However, with both Frankie Simek and Richard Wood ruled out with injury, the most likely option is for Mark Beevers to step straight into the back four.

There have been suggestions of Akpo Sodje returning from injury whilst Francis Jeffers is also rumoured to be close to fitness. Laws though has suggested they might be considered for Saturday rather than today. Also with Jermaine Johnson expected to be ruled out there could be a return for Deon Burton.

Wednesday could line up: Lee Grant, Lee Bullen, Richard Hinds, Mark Beevers, Tommy Spurr, Burton O'Brien, Glenn Whelan, Steve Watson, Wade Small, Deon Burton, Marcus Tudgay. Subs Rob Burch, Etienne Esajas, Peter Gilbert, Yoann Folly, Kenny Lunt,

Click HERE to see the full Wednesday squad

It is probably easier to list the players who aren't available for Burnley and Owen Coyle will need to check just who is available. This game could come a few days too soon for Clarke Carlisle but there could be a return for Alan Mahon.

Expected team: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Steven Caldwell, David Unsworth, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor, Alan Mahon, Kyle Lafferty, Robbie Blake, Andy Gray. Subs: Brian Jensen, Stephen Jordan, Garreth O'Connor, Steve Jones, Ade Akinbiyi.


Last Time Round

Last season's Turf Moor clash was very much a game between two out of form sides. We were on the back of three successive defeats whilst only Sheffield Wednesday had less points than us since the turn of the year.

Wade Elliott - gave us the lead
The game signalled the return to the starting line up of Andy Gray but it was a draw and neither side could have been anything like happy with their performance. A disappointing first half ended goalless but then eventually we scored our first home goal since the 2-2 draw with RK Sunderland a couple of months earlier.

It had some good fortune attached to it with Mark Crossley unable to hold a shot from Wade Elliott, but the winger had got his first goal of the season and surely we were on our way to a win.

Not likely, three minutes later and Wednesday were level as Deon Burton was left unmarked to head home from a set piece. That was it from Burnley and but for the performance of Danny Coyne in goal we could so easily have lost it. Still, at the time, a point was a point.

Burnley: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Steven Caldwell, John McGreal, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor, Joey Gudjonsson (Eric Djemba-Djemba 77), Steve Jones (Chris McCann 83), Ade Akinbiyi, Andy Gray (Kyle Lafferty 76). Subs not used: Stephen Foster, Wayne Thomas.

Sheffield Wednesday: Mark Crossley, Frankie Simek, Lee Bullen, Steve Watson, Tommy Spurr, Wade Small, Kenny Lunt, Yoann Folly, Chris Brunt, Deon Burton (Leon Clarke 88), Steve MacLean (Marcus Tudgay 88). Subs not used: Chris Adamson, Mark Beevers, Peter Gilbert.


Previous results against Wednesday

Previous 20 Seasons

Season

Div

Ven

Result

Att

Scorers

2000/01

1

h

1-0

16,372

Davis

.

.

a

0-2

20,184

.

2001/02

1

a

2-0

21,766

Taylor Cook(pen)

..

h

1-2

16,081

Taylor(pen)

2002/03

1

a

3-1

17,004

Taylor Little I Moore

..

h

2-7

17,435

Blake(2 1pen)

2005/06

C

h

1-2

14,607

G O'Connor(pen)

..

a

0-0

24,485

.

2006/07

C

a

1-1

22,425

J O'Connor

..

h

1-1

12,745

Elliott

2007/08

C

a

2-0

18,359

Blake McCann



Click HERE to see all our results against Wednesday