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| Burnley fans arriving ahead of the game |
It was a game we never really looked like losing but there again it was a game we probably didn't really look like winning too often either on a balmy night at Gigg Lane when the pitch sprinklers ahead of the game and at half time also served to help cool those in the stands.
Eddie Howe, as promised, again used two different teams and on this occasion played two different systems, aided by the fact that the 20 outfield players included two central defenders.
Brian Jensen and David Edgar returned to the squad at the expense of Jon Stewart and Joe Jackson and Howe opted for a 4-1-2-3 formation in the first half.
Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Ben Mee and Joseph Mills lined up in front of Jensen. Dean Marney was utilised as a holding midfielder with Alex MacDonald and Ross Wallace an unlikely pairing in front of him. The front three positions were occupied by George Porter, Charlie Austin and Junior Stanislas.
We started brightly enough with Austin having the first real effort when he got to a left wing cross from the once again impressive Mills, heading it back across the goalkeeper but seeing it hit the top of the netting.
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| Danny Ings on the mark again for Burnley |
Burnley were moving the ball well, but chances were very much at a premium as we failed to deliver the final ball too often, and the best chance of the half fell Bury's way, a chance they thankfully spurned.
A ball in from the left dropped nicely to Steven Schumacher around the penalty spot. He had time and space but somehow managed to hit his shot over the bar when it really looked much easier to get it on target.
Other than that, it was a case of a few long range efforts, more often than not from Stanislas, and then just before half time a Porter shot that fired just wide.
Overall, 0-0 was about right at half time as one Burnley team went off and another came on to warm up for the second half.
This time we went with a 3-5-2 system. Lee Grant was in goal for the second half and the three central defenders were Kevin Long (right), Edgar (centre) and captain Jason Shackell (left). Luke O'Neill and Danny Lafferty played as wing backs alongside Keith Treacy, Steven Hewitt and Chris McCann with Ings and Martin Paterson partnered up front.
It took us a while to get going after the break and Bury had a couple of half chances, one from a corner causing us the most problem, but we started to come into things and more than once Lafferty caused them some problems down the left whilst Treacy, operating on the right hand side of the pitch was providing that much needed creativity.
He almost set up a chance for Pato, then got in our best shot of the half only to see it saved, and finally played the pass that saw Ings go clear and finish so well with a chip to beat Bury goalkeeper Cameron Belford.
There were no scares in the last few minutes and no real opportunities to extend the lead so it means we travel down to the South West next week with two wins under the belt.
The teams were;
Bury: Trevor Carson, Phil Picken, Joe Skarz, Peter Sweeney, David Worrall, Steven Schumacher, Marcus Marshall, Shaun Harrad, Lateef Elford-Alliyu, Efe Sodje, Mark Hughes.
Substitutions:
60 mins: Andy Bishop, Mark Carrington, Adam Lockwood, Lenell John-Lewis and Andrai Jones for Hughes, Schumacher, Marshall, Harrad and Sodje.
72 mins: Dalton McLaughin, Liam Boswell, Jordan Melia and Cameron Belford for Carson, Worrall, Elford-Alliyu and Sweeney.
Burnley (first half): Brian Jensen, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Ben Mee, Joseph Mills, Dean Marney, Alex MacDonald, Ross Wallace, George Porter, Charlie Austin, Junior Stanislas.
Burnley (second half): Lee Grant, Kevin Long, David Edgar, Jason Shackell, Luke O'Neill, Keith Treacy, Steven Hewitt, Chris McCann, Danny Lafferty, Danny Ings, Martin Paterson.
Referee: Scott Mathieson (Stockport).
Attendance: 1,981 (including 1,116 Clarets).