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Out went three of the back four in Mark McGregor, Ian Cox and Graham Branch along with Tony Grant and Alan Moore from the midfield and suspended striker Gareth Taylor. Reverting to a 4-4-2 formation in came Dean West, Steve Davis, Arthur Gnohere with his head restored to its rightful position, Lee Briscoe, Glen Little and Robbie Blake.
The players have taken a right old battering from Stan in the last few days and much of it has been deserved. We had been promised better after Bramall Lane but we didn’t get it and we were promised better again tonight.
To be fair and despite the result we did get better and with any luck whatsoever we could well have been celebrating a victory against a less than impressive Leicester side. They bemoaned the absence of Muzzy Izzet through suspension when we won at the Walkers Stadium and tonight it was easy to see why. He was the best player on the field and alongside Billy McKinlay gave our midfield a difficult night.
But we were able to get forward and with Gareth Taylor out of the side were forced to adopt a different style of play. This we did and playing the ball to feet made life very difficult for the less than agile Gerry Taggart and Matt Elliott in the Leicester defence.
Robbie Blake and Ian Moore were at times in outstanding form, that is until the got a sight on goal. We created enough chances to have won the game but were unable to even get shots on target. Apart from dealing with one close range effort in the second half the Leicester keeper Ian Walker had a reasonably quiet evening as far as shot stopping was concerned.
Ian Moore was the first and after some excellent work in the box he created himself a chance but put his shot wide and shortly afterwards Robbie Blake missed the target when he should have done better.
Blake at times was outstanding tonight but his inability to get a shot on target cost him. He could easily have had a hat-trick but only once was he able to force Walker into action. Having said that it was good to see him back in action and it was no surprise that his return coincided with us creating more chances.
You have to take them though, that’s how matches are won and the longer the game went on at 0-0, when really we should have been in front, there was always the fear that Leicester might snatch one. They did look as thought they would be happy with a no score draw though and rarely looked to get men forward and attack us.
Leicester are obviously a difficult team to beat but they hardly inspire and look some distance away from being a Premiership side. Peter Taylor certainly did some quick damage to the side that Martin O’Neill left behind.
With just twelve minutes left, and still no goals, Leicester made their third and final substitution bringing on Frank Sinclair for Andy Impey. We joked that this could help break the deadlock with Sinclair just about the best at putting through his own goal.
Within a minute the deadlock was broken but it came at the other end. Marlon, who has had a bad couple of weeks, looked badly at fault as a failed to collect a corner. A scramble followed and Paul Dickov was able to force it over the line.
If Marlon looked at fault for that he certainly was at fault for Leicester’s second just four minutes later, and from another corner. This was as bad as it gets for the Burnley keeper as he came and missed to allow Trevor Benjamin a headed open goal.
Marlon’s confidence must be at an all time low and many were surprised to see him in the team tonight following the debacle at Walsall. We can only wait and see who will be in goal on Saturday.
We did pull one back, and from the most likely source, a Frank Sinclair own goal. It was the third game in succession that we have scored in stoppage time and the third in succession where the goal has proved to be meaningless.
Stan demanded better, and he certainly got it. But missed chances and bad goalkeeping have cost us tonight.
We are fast reaching the point where we will have nothing to play for this season and with increased season ticket prices to be announced within the next week, and a staggering number of season ticket holders failing to attend tonight’s game some results are desperately needed by the club.
We now have two Man of the Match awards announced on the ground, the sponsors and the results of a text vote. Blake and Moore picked the two awards up and my choice is Ian Moore. Both played well but Blake’s missed chances cost him the place.
Driss again played well and Arthur turned in an excellent performance at left-back on his return to the side. Paul Weller and Steve Davis both got another game in but both look far from being fully fit.
Referee Alan Kaye dealt with what he had to deal with and got little wrong, a refereshing change after the likes of Cooperman and Butler recently.
Now having got the performance better we need to find ourselves a good result, hopefully on Saturday against Grimsby.
The teams were,
Burnley: Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Steve Davis, Driss Diallo, Arthur Gnohere (Dimitri Papadopoulos 82), Glen Little, Paul Weller, Paul Cook (Alan Moore 57), Lee Briscoe (Tony Grant 45), Robbie Blake, Ian Moore. Subs not used: Nik Michopoulos, Mark McGregor.
Leicester: Ian Walker, Andy Impey (Frank Sinclair 78), Gerry Taggart, Matt Elliott, Callum Davidson, James Scrowcroft, Billy McKinlay (Trevor Benjamin 74), Muzzy Izzet, Jordan Stewart, Paul Dickov, Brian Deane (Nicky Summerbee 22). Subs not used: Paul Murphy, Jonathan Stephenson.
Referee: Alan Kaye (Wakefield).