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It is difficult to say how many did take up the Cricket Field Stand option but there were more in there than we could have expected had the Millwall fans been allowed in. They are certainly not renowned for a large away following.
Stan started with the team that finished against Stoke and we got off to a good enough start and attacked well. And after 17 minutes we took the lead and in doing so scored the first goal in a league game for the first time this season. It came from a Dean West penalty after Dimitri Papadopoulos had been fouled in the box.
Fred simply hammered it and it bounced in off the underside of the bar. Thankfully penalties are from twelve yards, just a few inches further out and it would have missed the target. Warner in the Millwall goal had no hope of getting near it and would have probably found himself being taken into the net with it.
This though seemed to bring Millwall into the game and we were certainly having some difficulty in clearing any attacks. Just about every clearance was picked up by the Millwall midfield and knocked back. To be honest this was no surprise with Grant and Johnrose in our midfield in dreadful form. This is how the equaliser came, the ball hit out of our box only to come straight back.
By half time we could think ourselves somewhat fortunate to be level although Dimitri had carved out a couple of openings for himself and deserved to be on the scoresheet. He was also denied by an excellent save from Warner who then turned away a header from Grant as his first save rebounded. Grant was our only outfield player tonight still to score a league goal for the Clarets and that was as close as he has ever come, probably the first time he has put an effort on target.
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In fact Cooky didn’t play particularly well tonight although he worked his socks off and at least tried to provide a competitive edge in the midfield. We did have a spell of pressure though and came close a couple of times but with Ifill running Lee Briscoe a merry dance the visitors always looked the more likely.
With the obnoxious Claridge and an ex-Blackburn player up front it was always going to be one of them that did the damage and in the end it was both, Claridge playing Davies in with an excellent ball that left him with an open goal. Of course Davies was going to score, when did a player last come to the Turf and get constant stick and not score?
Stan reacted by making two more substitutions, bringing on Ian Moore and Robbie Blake but leaving on both strikers and taking off his two wide men Glen Little and Alan Moore. This seemed to have no positive effect and we lost any sort of width.
Claridge became the crowd’s target when the game was stopped and he decided he could have a go back. Mr. Assistant Flag Waver was having none of it though and called across the referee. Would it be yellow or would it be red? In the end it was neither and Claridge received just a ticking off.
The game continued but we really didn’t look as though we could pull things back. It was looking very much as though it was going to be another home defeat but then with 85 minutes gone and any hope of a point looking slim we produced the move of the match.
We strung six or seven passes together and then Robbie Blake turned and played a superb ball into the edge of the box that Papadopoulos dummied for Ian Moore. Blake had gone for the return but Moore was having none of it and saw his opportunity to move forward and slide it past Warner with some ease.
Deserved or undeserved equaliser? I would say we were very fortunate to find ourselves level and with virtually nothing happening of note for the rest of the game a point it was. A home draw is often two points lost but this was very much a point gained.
The performance wasn’t close to the early season efforts such as Brighton and Reading and at times we did put Millwall under some pressure but at no time in the game did we ever look as though we could maintain it for more than a few minutes. Too often we allowed Millwall to dictate the game.
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It was in contrast to last season when Millwall escaped with a point in a less than entertaining 0-0 draw, to be honest this game probably had more shots on goal in any ten minute period than last season’s effort. It does look as though McGhee has had a change of heart on how to play.
Dimitri Papadopoulos was given the Man of the Match and he was certainly the best player for me in the first half although his contribution in the second forty-five minutes was nothing like as good. With many players failing to impress he had probably done enough in the first half to win it.
And what about Howard Webb, the referee, on his first visit to Turf Moor. It was a wonder there was any flowing football at all so keen was this guy to stop the game. It looked as though he had noticed the television cameras and wanted to be the star of the show. Maybe someday someone will explain the word advantage to him.
Finally tonight's attendance. The club reduced the prices to £10 and £5 for concessions but to be honest it wasn't particularly well publicised. It didn't work though and the 11,878 was the lowest league crowd at Turf Moor this Millennium.
So it is back on our travels now after three home games and at least we have remained unbeaten in them. Given our home form throughout 2002 that is something we can be thankful for.
The teams tonight were:
Burnley: Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Ian Cox, Arthur Gnohere, Lee Briscoe, Glen Little (Robbie Blake 66), Tony Grant, Lenny Johnrose (Paul Cook 45), Alan Moore (Ian Moore 66), Gareth Taylor, Dimitri Papadopoulos. Subs not used: Nik Michopoulos, Mark McGregor.
Millwall: Tony Warner, Matt Lawrence, Stuart Nethercott, Darren Ward, Ronnie Bull, Paul Ifill, Andy Roberts, David Livermore, Christophe Kinet, Steve Claridge (Neil Harris 83), Kevin Davies. Subs not used: Willy Gueret, Kevin Braniff, Robbie Ryan, Marcus Phillips.
Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham).
