Killie pies and an Ecuadorian winger

Last updated : 09 August 2009 By Tony Scholes
Fernando Guerrero
Fernando Guerrero - brought the Burnley fans to their feet
Burnley fans were arriving at Rugby Park from early afternoon in readiness for the first of our two games in Scotland. The bar of the neighbouring Park Hotel was not the most likely of pre-match venues but the numbers grew and grew in the few hours ahead of the game.

There were the usual familiar sights and sounds. Dave Timberlake and Rocky were providing most of the noise whilst the Rockette's appearance in a pair of tight black leather trousers proved to be a conversation piece.

Outside the ground the welcome was warm, reminiscent of our visits to Queen of the South and Partick Thistle last year, and eventually they even opened a turnstile for us to go in. Just about everyone headed in the direction of the refreshments to sample the famous Killie pies, and they did seem to go down well with most Burnley fans electing for a second helping.

Inside the players were warming up ahead of kick off and Guerrero was out there although at the time it was believed he wouldn't be taking part as we awaiting international clearance. The only players missing were the injured Michael Duff, Tyrone Mears and Martin Paterson and there didn't appear to be any sign of Dutchman Remco van der Schaaf.

By the time the teams were announced there was a very healthy claret & blue contingent in the stand to hear that Owen Coyle had named Brian Jensen in goal with a back four of Richard Eckersley, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell and Stephen Jordan in front of him.

Owen Coyle has opted for a 4-4-2 formation for much of the pre-season but this time it was more a 4-1-3-2 system. Graham Alexander was in the holding role whilst in front of him were Wade Elliott on the right, Kevin McDonald in the centre and Chris McCann out on the left. Up front Steven Fletcher partnered Steven Thompson.

To suggest the first half was a dull affair was perhaps giving it a better billing than it deserved. It really was disappointing stuff and the two goalkeepers must have been grateful for it being a warm night given they had precious little to involve themselves with.

I'm not sure the Killie keeper had anything resembling a save to make at all but Jensen did make one good stop from a free kick which drew the obligatory chant from the away fans.

Kilmarnock 0 Burnley 0 it was at half time. It never threatened to be any different than that, but it was Burnley who came close to taking an early lead in the second half.

Jensen kicked long and Fletcher, who had been as good as anyone in our side during the first half, failed to control the bouncing ball. As it bounced up he managed to loop a header over the keeper but it dropped agonisingly wide of his left hand post.

Coyle started to make changes and with the first batch came the first goal although none of the three players coming on were involved, indeed the only two players who were involved were Carlisle and Jensen.

There wasn't any sign of a Kilmarnock player when an aimless ball found itself in our penalty box. Carlisle got to it and he knocked a cushioned header back to Jensen. That was the plan, but Jensen wasn't there and the ball made its way into the net.

We made more changes to no effect but then with just under twenty minutes we did get our first look of Guerrero. He became villain of the piece within seconds. After losing the ball he took it out on the Kilmarnock defender who was forced to receive treatment.

That led to the Ecuadorian being booed by the Killie fans for the rest of the game, but he was soon bringing the Burnley fans to their feet with his running and with his use of the ball. At least three times he got down the left wing and got in good balls. Both Joey Gudjonsson and Jay Rodriguez came close after he set them up and the whole performance changed.

Suddenly it was now looking a very different game. Robbie Blake had a goalbound effort header away and we could so easily have gone on and turned it round. We didn't and it was a second successive defeat following the reverse to League One Leeds five days earlier.

But there's no doubt whose name was on everyone's lips after the game. There may be a considerable number of pronunciations of his name from Burnley fans but Guerrero was the one everyone was enthusing over as we made our way out.

It hadn't been a good performance from us by any stretch of the imagination, but we'd got our first glimpse of the potential Owen Coyle had spoken about and we'd liked what we saw.

And, just to complete things, the pies were good.

The teams were;

Kilmarnock: Lee Robinson, Garry Hay (Tim Clancy), Frazer Wright, Simon Ford (Ryan O'Leary), Craig Bryson (Manuel Pascali), Danny Invincibile (Iain Flannigan), Gavin Skelton, Steven Old, Conor Sammon, Jamie Hamill, Mark Burchill (Graeme Owens).

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Richard Eckersley (Joey Gudjonsson 57), Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan (Christian Kalvenes 78), Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott (Chris Eagles 57), Kevin McDonald (Jay Rodriguez 61), Chris McCann (Brian Easton 78), Steven Fletcher (Fernando Guerrero 72), Steven Thompson (Robbie Blake 57). Subs not used: Diego Penny, David Edgar.

Referee: Charlie Richmond.