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Stan said Nik Michopoulos was back to his best last week but it came as no surprise to see Marlon get the goalkeepers position today, having moved quickly to sign him it seemed hardly likely that he would be on the bench. Both Ian Moore and Robbie Blake got starts, this was to be Blake’s first full ninety minutes for the Clarets, but there was no place for Glen Little who had to make do with a seat on the bench.
With no Graham Branch there was finally an opportunity for one of the youngsters to take a seat on the bench but it was not one of the young professionals. In fact scholar Matthew O’Neill joined Michopoulos, Little, Andy Payton and Alan Moore.
There wasn’t much confidence in the stands either and many Burnley fans were placing bets on the Clarets to be beaten with the concourse bookmaker. And this before we have even taken to the field.
It didn’t take long though to realise that the gamblers amongst us were probably on a sure thing. There was to be no real improvement on Reading if any at all as the Clarets in a strange looking formation with three at the back, were immediately on the back foot. To be honest it came as no surprise when Derby took the lead as early as the eighth minute.
We had already had a couple of scares and there would be more to come. The Burnley fans were quiet apart from one small group who it appeared had just turned up to bait the Derby fans over their lack of money. This particular group were to find themselves in trouble with the local constabulary before the end of the game, to be honest they had not offered the Clarets any support all afternoon.
A few did try and start some chanting during that first half but were struggling to get much support until hero number one stepped in. The oft maligned Burnley fan Rocky got to his feet and demanded that everyone get behind the team and within seconds "Stan Ternent’s Claret and Blue Army" could be heard with some incredible volume.
It didn’t help much on the field and to be honest we were thankful to get off at half time just a goal behind. Even the most confident of fans were predicting another three goal away defeat by this time and there could be no argument against their theories.
Whilst the predictions of doom were being discussed we can only imagine that some harsh words were being spoken in the dressing room. Players once again were letting themselves down and the formation didn’t appear to offering us any help whatsoever.
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The first obvious change was Glen Little on the half way line waiting to come on as a substitute for the second half and a quick check on the players out on the pitch indicated that Lenny Johnrose was coming off. Lenny had been totally ineffective in the first half although it is fair to say that he wasn’t on his own.
Glen went onto the right hand side (and just about stayed there for the entire second half) and we reverted to a more familiar 4-4-2 formation with Mark McGregor moving to left-back with Brisser in front but on the left hand side.
The effect was without doubt immediate and dramatic and within 9 minutes the Clarets had turned this game on its head. We had missed a chance even before the equaliser came and that was after just six minutes. Robbie Blake was clearly brought down for a penalty and he got up and took it himself. Despite former Burnley keeper Andy Oakes going the right way he had absolutely no chance of stopping it. Level and game on.
The fans were roaring the players on now and sensed that we were very much back in this game and just three minutes later Derby full-back became on of our joint top scorers, turning a Robbie Blake cross into his own goal.
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Burnley were back in this game and playing so well the Derby defence simply had no answer to us and goalkeeper Oakes, playing against his former club for the first time, decided enough was enough and was substituted. A couple of minutes later a second substitution by the home side saw Lee Morris, son of former Claret Colin, come on.
Derby’s spasmodic attacks all seemed to come following incredibly poor decisions from referee Hall who seemed to enjoy waving yellow cards at the Burnley players. When will referees start to treat both teams fairly? However there was to be no way past the outstanding Cox and Gnohere who were playing as they had done in that good run last November.
In fact if there was going to be another goal it was always going to be from the Clarets and Ian Moore, having his best game for some time, had three or four great runs that would have given him his first goal of the season with any luck at all.
The Burnley fans were now in good voice and baiting the Derby fans with chants of "Taxi for Derby" and "Gregory Out". A lone voice from the Colne Clarets Treasurer of "Ternent Out" was soon shouted down. Players, fans and management were all on the same side during this 45 minutes.
There would have been a complete injustice had Derby found an equaliser from anywhere but they didn’t and didn’t come close to it and for the second time the final whistle signalled a Burnley win at Pride Park.
The cup win was special and nothing can take that away but surely today’s win was far more important. If ever we needed a win this was it. As the fans celebrated at the end Stan stood on the touchline and shook hands with each and every one of his players and rightly so, they had done him proud for half a game this afternoon.
For the life of me I don’t know which is the real Burnley right now. The first half was simply appalling, no better than Reading and possibly even worse. The second half was for me as good as anything seen since the turn of the year. This is what we are capable of and there is no doubt that a few performances like this will see us move up the table.
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Man of the Match is an easy one for me today. I though Coxy and Arthur were outstanding at the back in the second half and Glen played better than he has done for months. Ian Moore was excellent up front but his partner Robbie Blake takes it for me. He has finally taken the opportunity to show us just how good a player he is.
I’m sure Stan will have mentioned swallows and summer but this was only half a swallow. It has been forty-five minutes of superb football from the Clarets and nothing more so let’s not get too carried away.
It has though seen us finally climb off the bottom rung of the league table and it has put a smile back on everyone’s faces. The journey home seemed to take no time at all.
Which is the real Burnley? Let’s hope it is the one that played the second half.
The teams were:
Derby County: Andy Oakes (Lee Grant 67), Warren Barton, Chris Riggott, Danny Higginbotham, Richard Jackson, Adam Bolder, Rob Lee, Adam Murray (Lee Morris 69), Paul Boertien, Branko Strupar, Malcolm Christie. Subs not used: Brian O’Neil, Ian Evatt, Gary Twigg.
Burnley: Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Ian Cox, Mark McGregor, Arthur Gnohere, Lee Briscoe, Paul Weller, Tony Grant, Lenny Johnrose (Glen Little 45), Robbie Blake, Ian Moore. Subs not used: Nik Michopoulos, Alan Moore, Andy Payton, Matthew O’Neill.
Referee: Andy Hall (Birmingham).