Clarets invade Germany

Early estimates were 200 but it was certainly far more than that and by the time we reached kick off there must have been 300 Clarets there to cheer on the lads who were able to name Robbie Blake after missing out on Tuesday with hamstring trouble.

There was also a place on the bench for Ian Moore who told Clarets Mad that he was going to play half a game (he did get more in the end) with the only two players unable to be involved being Joel Pilkington and Paul Scott.

This meant the only change in the starting line up was Blake for Matt O’Neill with Graham Branch moving onto the left hand side.

Herr Kevin Lynch had been replaced for this fixture but we got the German equivalent, believed to be a FIFA Official, who was probably Herr Cooperman.

It was a case of déjà vu for the Clarets who, just as they had done four days previously, were held to a 1-1 draw after holding the lead.

The conditions were always going to prove somewhat difficult for the Burnley players in temperatures virtually unheard of at home and it was no surprise that the game was played at a slow pace.

Chances were few and far between in the first half and neither goalkeeper had much to do at all. We played with ten men for a while after Frank Sinclair needed five stitches in a head wound after a clash of heads and also had to make an early substitution when Branch succumbed to a stiff back with just over sixteen minutes gone. That allowed for Mooro to come on earlier than expected and for the Clarets to revert to a 4-4-2 system.

The Burnley fans were in fine voice but it failed to lift the game and no one was surprised to see the players go in at half time with the score at 0-0.

There was little change during the second half with no sign of a drop in temperature and in fact things got even more heated after an altercation between Mo Camara and Matthias Jörg.

It was a bad challenge by Jörg but Camara reacted and was promptly yellow carded by Herr Cooperman whilst the German player got away with it. Herr Cooperman also insisted that Camara be replaced whilst manager Steve Cotterill had a quiet word with Jörg and let him know in no uncertain terms what he thought of the challenge.

There were one or two unnecessary challenges and with the two teams set to have dinner together last night it could well have been an interesting atmosphere.

But the game continued with the similar pattern until the last few minutes when we firstly looked to have won it and then simply literally threw away the lead.

The Burnley goal came following an attack down the left. O’Neill beat his man and got in an excellent cross that Sinclair met at the far post to head home his first Burnley goal.

With just five minutes left we looked certain winners but within two minutes the German side were level with an awful goal.

Yes TSV got in a header and yes their substitute Lukasz Szukala got a header on target. But it lacked any power, was hit straight at Jensen and he got both hands to it at around chest height before promptly letting the ball slip from his grasp into the net. It was as bad a goal as he has conceded and must surely now confirm Danny Coyne as first choice next Saturday.

This was a tough game because of the conditions and no matter how hot it is next Saturday there is no doubt that we won’t be playing in the same sort of temperatures we faced yesterday.

And neither will the Burnley fans be able to spend the entire 90 mins watching from a bar balcony either.

The teams were,

TSV München 1860: Thomas Geblauer, Markus Ortlieb, Marcel Schäfer, Christoph Janker (Daniel Rasch 78), Michael Kokocinski (Lukasz Szukala 45), Thomas Wörle (Nikolas Ledgerwood 45), Matthias Jörg, Christian Holzer, Nicky Adler (Esad Veledar 45), Marcel Richter, Florian Pickel. Subs not used: Christophe Burkhard, Christian Schmid, Philipp Pentke.

Burnley: Danny Coyne (Brian Jensen 45), Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara (Matt O’Neill 55), Lee Roche, Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant (Mark Yates 72), Micah Hyde, Graham Branch (Ian Moore 17), Robbie Blake.

Referee: Herr Cooperman.