Record crowd see Clarets draw at Accrington

Last updated : 30 July 2003 By Tony Scholes

Ian Moore - scored the Burnley goal
The attendance of 3,045 was the highest ever at the newly named Interlink Express Stadium with the stand pretty full and many supporters stood behind the goals taking a pounding from the rain during the second half.

With Gareth Taylor out injured the Clarets made just one change with Alan Moore coming in on the left hand side of midfield and there was a place on the bench for the first time for young striker Damien Hindle.

The Clarets started brightly, well not quite in their away kit of all grey. The kit didn’t appear to pose a problem early in the game but as the light faded and the rain and visibility got worse the players really did take some picking out. This looks to be a less than inspired choice of away kit and it can only be hoped that we don’t wear it at Chesterfield with their poor floodlights.

But we did start brightly and were much the better side in the opening exchanges and could with some luck have got ourselves in front by at least a couple of goals. The passing was sharp and crisp and the movement good particularly down the right hand side where Lee Roche was in impressive form linking up with Glen Little.

There is no doubt that we have added some pace and invention at full back with the capture of Roche and Mo Camara but again the centre of defence was worrying with Graham Branch and Arthur Gnohere not particularly looking the part.

Accrington almost got through a couple of times with balls between the pair of them but with nobody in their side to compare with Leeds’ Alan Smith we got away with it.

Even so it was something of a surprise when Accrington did take the lead after Richard Chaplow, who had started the game so well, gave the ball away. Stanley’s Rory Prendergast was able to get past Roche and then hit home from a wide position with just 23 minutes on the clock.

The response from the Clarets was quick and incisive and it took us just four minutes to draw level when Ian Moore finished after superb work from Robbie Blake had put him clear on the left hand side of the box.

I’m usually quite critical of referees and their assistants but tonight the assistant in front of the stand in the first half had my sympathy. After twice flagging home team players offside, and quite rightly doing so, he was subjected to ridiculous and abusive pressure from the Stanley bench and from manager John Coleman in particular with the 4th official having some difficulty keeping it all under control.

Coleman didn’t get his own way though although was fortunate to be allowed to remain down there, and his performance certainly forced some smiles from the Burnley bench.

Half time came with the score 1-1 with the game having almost reached stalemate in the last ten minutes with hardly any action in either penalty area.

The rain of the first half got heavier during half time, it was hard to believe that it would get worse, much worse, and continue through to the end of the game.

We hardly got into it in the second half although I have to admit that finding the Burnley players did become more and more difficult as the game went on. We made a couple of early substitutions but it was Accrington taking the game to the Clarets for much of the second 45 minutes.

The home side too made substitutions and both Gordon Armstrong and Paul Cook came off, both receiving great and fully deserved receptions from the many Burnley fans in the crowd.

Accrington missed a couple of late opportunities to win the match but failed to hit the target with any of them and the game just appeared to be ending quietly when Arthur Gnohere was involved in an incident that saw him cautioned. He was immediately withdrawn with the already substituted Alan Moore returning for the last 90 seconds or so.

Disappointingly Damo Hindle spent the entire 90 minutes on the bench, failing to get onto the pitch, but surely his time will come.

So the annual trip to Accrington is over and there is no doubt it is well worth a visit. The improvements carried out at the ground recently are a great credit to them. And for us it is another 90 minutes towards fitness and another step nearer in our preparation for the league season.

It wasn’t a good performance but that happens in the pre-season games. I heard someone leaving asking why we couldn’t beat Accrington Stanley if we could beat Leeds. If we knew the answer to that then football wouldn’t be quite so exciting.

The teams were:

Accrington Stanley: Jamie Speare, Peter Cavanagh, Steve Hollis, Robbie Williams, Jonathan Smith, Andy Proctor, Gordon Armstrong, Paul Cook, Lutel James, John Durnin, Rory Prendergast.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, Graham Branch, Arthur Gnohere (Alan Moore 90), Mo Camara, Glen Little (Dean West 53), Richard Chaplow (Tony Grant 49), Alan Moore (Matt O’Neill 79), Ian Moore, Robbie Blake. Sub not used: Damien Hindle.