Clarets are second behind Preston

Last updated : 02 April 2012 By Tony Scholes
Cameron Howieson

For some weeks it has looked as though it might be a three horse race and that's definite now with only the top three able to lift the title.

Walsall were the team to miss out last week when they could only draw with Carlisle. That game was played on Thursday and took them above us for two days on goal difference. That was until our 3-0 win against Wrexham saw us go three points clear of them with a game in hand.

Any hopes that the win could see us regain first place were dashed with news of Preston's comfortable win against Stockport County and saw we remain two points adrift with two games in hand.

Preston have just three games to play now. They've won their last five but must travel to Walsall a week on Saturday for what will be their most difficult remaining game. Walsall's defeat to us a couple of weeks ago remains their only defeat all season.

Worst case scenario for us now would be Preston winning all their remaining games. That would see them end the season on 59 points and would mean we'd have to win four of our five remaining games to lift the title.

The first of those remaining games comes this Saturday with a trip to Macclesfield and we face bottom of the league Morecambe at Gawthorpe next Monday afternoon. That will leave us with home games against Carlisle and Wigan before we end the season with a visit to Stockport.

It's in our hands as they say, and, given what our youth team have achieved this season with the FA Youth Cup run, lifting this title will be the least they deserve.

Saturday also saw wins for Carlisle, Port Vale and Wigan with the game between Oldham and Shrewsbury ending in a goalless draw.

Below are last week's results, this week's fixture and Burnley's goalscorers this season.

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

Thursday 29th March
Walsall 3 Carlisle 3

Saturday 31st March
Blackpool 1 Wigan 2
Burnley 3 Wrexham 0
Carlisle 3 Macclesfield 0
Morecambe 0 Port Vale 4
Oldham 0 Shrewsbury 0
Preston 5 Stockport 1
Tranmere 2 Bury 1

THIS WEEK'S FIXTURES

Wednesday 4th April
Tranmere v Blackpool

Saturday 7th April
Accrington v Walsall
Carlisle v Port Vale
Macclesfield v Burnley
Morecambe v Shrewsbury
Preston v Tranmere
Rochdale v Stockport

BURNLEY'S GOALSCORERS (LEAGUE AND CUP)

22: Jason Gilchrist
18: Shay McCartan
12: Steven Hewitt
6: Adam Evans, Cameron Howieson
3: own goals
2: Archie Love, Alex Mullin, Aryn Williams
1: Jamie Frost, Charlie Holt, Lewis Nuttall, Dean Overson, James Taylor

CURRENT LEAGUE TABLE

Team pld w d l f a pts
 
Preston North End 21 16 2 3 52 19 50
Burnley 19 16 0 3 47 21 48
Walsall 20 13 6 1 53 17 45
Carlisle United 21 13 1 7 52 29 40
Tranmere Rovers 19 12 1 6 40 28 37
Rochdale 22 10 3 9 43 38 33
Bury 22 9 4 9 44 42 31
Oldham Athletic 22 7 8 7 29 29 29
Stockport County 20 9 1 10 38 48 28
Port Vale 20 8 3 9 40 36 27
Wrexham 21 7 4 10 34 37 25
Wigan Athletic 19 7 3 9 26 33 24
Macclesfield Town 22 6 6 10 24 37 22
Shrewsbury Town 21 5 4 12 28 42 19
Accrington Stanley 21 4 3 14 23 48 15
Blackpool 22 4 3 15 27 61 15
Morecambe 20 3 3 14 29 64 12