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It was all change again for the reserves. After normality had been resumed at Molineux last week in the guise of a mixture of youth and experience, a decree went out from Stanley Augustus that inexperience should be the order of the day. Thus, as against Huddersfield in the previous home game, we lined up with our oldest player, Andrew Leeson, still some three weeks short of his 20th birthday. With only "15 (sic) fit professionals" the senior players were not to be risked. Why not? Don’t they risk injury in training too, or do they just swan around like a bunch of big girls’ blouses? Surely players such as Payton and Moore (A) need more competitive match practice?
Burnley (in 4-4-2): James Salisbury; Andrew Leeson, Earl Davis (capt.), Liam Eves, Paul Scott; Stephen Richardson, Andrew Waine, Joel Pilkington (Sean Blakey 76), Mark Rasmussen (Robert Grimes 68); Richard Chaplow, Matthew O’Neill. Subs not used: Gary Carter, Danny Pitham, Ryan Townsend.
The Blades had to make a readjustment to their line-up, brought about by that bane of all football fans’ lives, the M6. Paul Peschisolido was caught up in traffic on his way up from Birmingham and couldn’t make the kick-off. This, however, was as nothing compared to events at Deepdale, where firstly the kick-off was delayed until 7:45, and then the game was called off when it became known that the Wolves’ coach had broken down!
Stuart McCall’s United were still able to field a wealth of experience in much-travelled (and former Burnley target) Wayne Allison, Dutchman Laurens Ten Heuvel, Frenchman Jean-Phillipe Javary, and Nick Montgomery:
Ben Scott, Rob Nugent (Tyrone Thompson 77), Adam Baum, Jean-Phillipe Javary,
Colin Cryan, Jason Dimozantos, Lee Thompson, Nick Montgomery, Laurens Ten Heuvel (Lewis Killeen 68), Wayne Allison, Grant Smith (Lee Featherstone 75). Sub not used: Chris Glarvey.
The Blades dominated the early exchanges, not surprisingly as playing in a fluid 4-5-2 formation they appeared to have an extra man. Mr Richardson, the referee, took only a mere 10 minutes to work out that the Blades all-black away kit was tending to blend with his attire. Quick as a limpet, he donned a green shirt and the game continued.
It beggars belief that such situations can arise. How could the ref not have spotted this before kick-off? Why did it then take him 10 minutes to realise the problem? Why didn’t the other three officials point out that something wasn’t quite right? A cynic would surely seize on this as a perfect symbol of the shambolic way professional football is run in this country.
Five minutes later and it was 1-0. Salisbury couldn’t hold a powerful shot from Javary and Ten Heuvel reacted quickly to score easily.
This seemed to spur the Clarets into action, and for the rest of the half they produced some good counter-attacking football. Rasmussen and O’Neill shot just wide after good build-up play, and Chaplow in particular was showing some delightful touches, laying the ball off well for wide men Richardson and Rasmussen.
The defence was coping well, with Eves in particular outstanding. The youth team captain seemed to win everything in the air, put in some excellent tackles and cut out several dangerous through balls. The Davis-Allison duel was fascinating, with the young Colossus trying to get the better of the veteran Chief. First half honours were even.
Within three minutes of the restart however the Clarets went 2-0 down. The wily Chief, looking suspiciously offside, was quicker to a cross than the somewhat static Colossus, and flicked on for Thompson Twin (Lee) to shoot firmly past Salisbury.
Again, the youngsters reacted well, and laid siege to the Blades’ goal for the next half hour. The lively Chaplow could easily have had a hat-trick. Scott (B) saved well from Rasmussen when put through by an excellent ball from Scott (P), as the Clarets dominated the play.
But with time running out the Blades, having weathered the storm, came back into the game. In the 84th minute Davis failed to cut out a cross from Thompson Twin (T), and Allison (showing all the skills that had been honed to perfection in the early 80s on the playing fields of Fartown High School, Huddersfield, under the expert tuition of a former teacher of French) blasted home from close range.
"Ah, où sont les neiges d’antan?" Wayne must have muttered to himself as he plodded back to the centre circle.
Another 3-0 home defeat, but this was a good performance. Eves and Chaplow both had excellent games; Stephen Richardson too can feel happy with his first full appearance; and Robert Grimes, watched by his proud father, showed some nice touches in his début as a substitute. The team played the ball around well and produced some good, passing moves. Stand-in coach Terry Pashley should be able to report back positively to the surprisingly absent Supremo, a situation which gave rise to comments that Ronnie will be parking his more-than ample backside on the bench at Derby!
All credit then to the youngsters. The next reserve game is in two weeks away to Bury, to be played at Radcliffe Borough’s Stainton Park. Let’s hope for a return to winning ways.