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There was a decent crowd on too with the 9,005 attendance probably more than the club could have predicted. It was boosted by a sizeable following from the visitors which will be more than many clubs bring for First Division fixtures in the coming season.
It was the same starting eleven as Stan had used in the last game in the Isle of Man on Friday against Rotherham and we certainly made a positive start taking the game to Leeds. In fact we could have been in front very early in the game when Gareth Taylor hit a first time effort over the bar from a Robbie Blake cross.
We were looking good and the promptings from Paul Weller and Richard Chaplow were getting our forwards into the game with Leeds struggling to contain us. And it came as no surprise when we took the lead with the youngster Chaplow hitting home is first goal for the first team.
But it was a superb run from Ian Moore that brought the goal. He saw off both David Batty and Jody Morris as he broke through and was only robbed at the last minute as he looked set to score. But the ball fell kindly for Chappy who hit the ball home first time.
It was nothing less than we deserved and Premiership side Leeds were struggling to get into the game. We could have even gone further in front but then allowed Leeds to draw level with a sloppy goal. It came from a corner after an excellent save by Brian Jensen. The ball fell kindly to Mark Viduka who made no mistake from close range.
It was unjust and it was a goal we shouldn’t have conceded but we didn’t allow it to affect us and within no time at all we were back in front. Robbie Blake who was in inspired form got a cross in that was won well by Gareth Taylor for Ian Moore to nod home.
Mooro had richly deserved that goal, he had started like a house on fire, had now created one and scored one and was involved in just about everything.
Leeds were very much second best and were beginning to lose it a touch and there were a couple of rash (and that is being polite) challenges from Duberry and Viduka that would have seen the referee go straight for his cards had it been a league game.
They do have some quality players though and none more so than Alan Smith and it was he who drew Leeds level for a second time. He run on to a through ball from former Blackburn player Jason Wilcox and hammered the ball into the corner giving the Clarets new keeper no chance whatsoever.
That was about it in the first half, it did end with the score 2-2, but all hell broke loose just before half time. It is over 37 years since things got so bad in a game between these two clubs that all 22 players had to be called into the centre-circle to calm things down.
It didn’t get that bad but it all flared up just before interval following two dreadful challenges from Leeds players no more than two seconds apart. The first was by Zoumana Camara and the second appeared to be by Batty who went in harder than he did in Russia on Graeme Le Saux.
Within no time players piled in and Paul Weller certainly got involved. With Darwen referee Tony Leake trying to sort things out Stan came on to have a word with him. He spoke to Stan and then to his assistant before decided just to have a strong word with the guilty parties.
Peter Swan was on the pitch during the interval and won warm applause from all four sides of the ground. Swanny who had two spells with the Clarets before ending his playing career with a short spell at York started his career with Leeds.
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There were a whole cluster of substitutions around the hour mark and this led to a lull in proceedings for a short time with Burnley very much on top. On 73 minutes we finally secured victory but sadly at what looks like a heavy cost.
It was a second penalty and came after a Burnley corner. Duberry led with his arm and caught Taylor in the face. It was a blatant penalty and reckless from Duberry as we waited for Taylor, Blake had now gone off, to get up and take the penalty.
That didn’t happen though and the Burnley striker had to leave the field with an eye injury, apparently he was bleeding behind the eye. There has been much speculation in the last few days that he could be on his way to Norwich City although sources close to Taylor have said that he does no want to go.
But more importantly is his health and he has been detained in hospital and whatever happens will now miss the beginning of the season.
It was Ian Moore who took the penalty and hit home with ease for a 4-2 lead and that was that. There was no way this Leeds team were going to come back against us today.
A 4-2 win is meaningless in that it wins us no points but it will be a massive confidence boost following on from the win against Rotherham on Friday.
It wasn’t just the win though and I think all Burnley fans would have gone home happy today following a very positive performance. The three new boys all did well but there again who didn’t? Certainly nobody had a bad game.
The two in midfield – Paul Weller and Richard Chaplow – were outstanding whilst Robbie Blake won the sponsor’s man of the match. I cannot make my mind up but take your pick for me between Blake, Chaplow and Ian Moore.
Nobody is getting carried away at a friendly win, it won’t win us a league or keep us up, but there were a lot of positive signs today that things are going to be a lot better than many feared they would be.
It really was a cracking performance and really the injury news on Gareth Taylor is the only bad news today.
Teams:
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Lee Roche (Dean West 61), Graham Branch, Arthur Gnohere, Mo Camara, Paul Weller (Tony Grant 61), Richard Chaplow, Glen Little (Alan Moore 61), Ian Moore, Gareth Taylor, Robbie Blake (Matt O’Neill 65).
Leeds United: Paul Robinson, Danny Mills, Ian Harte, David Batty (Stephen McPhail 61), Michael Duberry, Zoumana Camara (Matthew Kilgallon 61), Gary Kelly (Nicky Barmby 61), Jody Morris, Mark Viduka (James Milner 45), Alan Smith (Simon Johnson 85), Jason Wilcox (Rodrigo 45).
Goals:
Burnley: Richard Chaplow 8, Ian Moore 18 75(pen), Robbie Blake 56 (pen)
Leeds: Mark Viduka 15, Alan Smith 35
Referee: Tony Leake (Darwen).