Clarets defeat the Gialloblu in last friendly

Last updated : 09 August 2014 By Tony Scholes

Goals from Matty Taylor, his first in Burnley colours, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Ross Wallace turned things Burnley's way after our visitors had opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half through Lazaros Christodoulopoulos.

With everyone fit, Sam Vokes apart, there was some real interest in the team line up today and I suspect the eleven who started could just be those who will kick off at home against Chelsea in nine days time.

Hellas Verona fans enjoying the game from the Longside Upper

The first half of the game was goalless but not without incident or interest. It was a somewhat slower pace than what we'd seen four days earlier but there was some really good play from both sides.

Last pre-season it was all about Danny Ings and his goals. This time it's been more about Lukas Jutkiewicz. I have to say that I thought Ings was outstanding today and I would think we would be enthusing about it very much had he been able to add a goal.

Both he and Juke came close in the first half. The recent signing from Middlesbrough fired a shot just over and then headed narrowly wide but then an effort from Ings looked set to lift everyone off their seats but was just wide of the target.

It was certainly not all Burnley. Verona looked a very accomplished side and might have gone in front had Luca Toni got his shot in quicker, but he delayed and that allowed defenders to get back.

It looked as though we were going to go in all square at the break, and that we did, but it took a terrific save from Tom Heaton to keep the scores level.

No score at half time but that quickly changed with two goals in two minutes from the restart. Toni and Lazaros linked up on the left. Heaton came out but didn't get there and the Greek midfielder headed home.

Incredibly we were level within thirty seconds with the first of what were three very good goals for us. Kieran Trippier played the ball down the line for Scott Arfield who in turn found Ings. The striker pulled a great ball back from the right for Taylor to hit home first time from around the penalty spot.

Heaton had to be alert on a couple of occasions as the game got a bit competitive and referee Lee Mason took the opportunity to start waving yellow cards around, but by now we were looking the better side and went in front not too long past the hour.

We hadn't made any changes at this point in the game but Marvin Sordell was just about to come on for Jutkiewicz when he ensured he would come off to a great ovation by scoring our second.

He all but started and finished the move. Collecting the ball in the midfield he played it out to Ben Mee on the left and moved into the box, getting his head to Mee's cross and heading home from close range.

It was his last action in the game with Sean Dyche then making that first change, giving Sordell just under half an hour of play.

Wallace was the next to come on, replacing Arfield, and then Michael Kightly got his first pre-season football in the first team as he came on for Taylor. It was the Scot Wallace who completed the scoring in what was surely a unique Turf Moor moment. We won a free kick.

First Burnley goal for Matty Taylor

A sizeable following of Verona fans had situated themselves in the end block of the Longside Upper towards the Jimmy Mac end and, as if from nowhere, an announcement was made in Italian over the PA.

My Italian is not the best. It might have been to warn them of standing, it might have been thanking them for coming to the game or it might have been letting them know that Enzo's at Duke Bar was staying open later than usual.

But as the Italian was blurted out so Wallace, from fully 25-yards out, hit his free kick into the corner to extend the lead.

Ings came close again, so did Sordell, but 3-1 it was and we can now pack the pre-season away and prepare for the big one against Chelsea.

I don't know who came up with the idea of playing these two home games against Celta Vigo and Hellas Verona but well done to them. Both have been extremely enjoyable and both, as Dyche has confirmed, have been more than useful in his preparations for the new season.

Apart from not quite being able to be superior at Deepdale, I've enjoyed the pre-season and now can't wait for the real stuff. We are just about to get what we worked so hard for last season. Bring it on.

Next week we'll be completing our look back at last season before concentrating on the new Premier League season with the Clarets taking their place amongst the elite, to quote a former manager, clubs.

Today's teams were;

Burnley: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Matty Taylor (Michael Kightly 77), Dean Marney, David Jones, Scott Arfield (Ross Wallace 69), Danny Ings, Lukas Jutkiewicz (Marvin Sordell 63). Subs not used: Matt Gilks, Steven Reid, Luke O'Neill, Kevin Long, Tom Anderson, Danny Lafferty, Ashley Barnes.

Hellas Verona: Rafael (Pierluigi Gollini), Ivan Martic (Antonio Rodriguez), Rafael Marques, Alejandro Gonzalez, Alessandro Agostini (Antonio Luna), Mounir Obbadi (Artur Ionita), Panagiotis Tachtsidis (Massimo Donati), Emil Hallfredsson (Mattia Valoti), Ignacio Gomez Taleb (Nene), Luca Toni (Moahmed Fares), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (Francesco Zampano).

Referee: Lee Mason (Bolton).

Attendance: 4,602.