And the rain came falling down

Last updated : 21 August 2009 By Tony Scholes
Michael King - scored the first goal
Moving the game to the Friday meant Clarets Mad's youth team reporter Andy Ashworth was unable to make the game leaving the duties to myself but I have to admit I spent much of the first half sheltering from a very heavy downpour.

I'd like, at this point, to offer my thanks to two Blackpool supporters, who I believe were parents, and to one Portuguese gentleman from Madeira who has settled in Burnley. Their assistance with umbrellas proved to be very useful indeed.

The weather did lead to a less than exciting first half. With the strong wind also it made conditions difficult and neither side was able to create too much, but just before half time Blackpool did grab the lead.

We started the second half the stronger and just twenty minutes in we'd turned things round with two good goals. Both came from attacks down the left hand side.

The first saw Dom Knowles play the ball for Michael King who finished well and then King himself crossed low for Joe Jackson to finish at the near post.

At that point a Burnley win looked possible but Blackpool came storming back to score three times although there is no doubt that one of them looked to be some distance offside.

To our credit we got back at them and pulled one back although it was somewhat fortunate. We played a ball forward that the goalkeeper failed to deal with and Liam Newman finished from close range.

Newman might have set up a fourth too. He chased a bouncing ball and collided with the Blackpool goalkeeper and the referee's immediate whistle suggested he'd given us a penalty. Instead he, somewhat strangely, awarded a free kick the other way.

It was the last piece of action and the final whistle blew to give Blackpool a 4-3 win.

This Burnley side was not at full strength. We know of injuries to both Dean Overson and Tommy Taylor whilst Oliver Devenney is currently missing with illness. It left us with two under 16 players in the side who both played well.

The Burnley team was: Danny McDonald, Steve Edwards, Curtis Woods, Tom Anderson, Jake McEneaney, Ross Wilson, Dave Lynch, Stephen Hewitt, Michael King, Dom Knowles (James Taylor), Joe Jackson (Liam Newman).