Clarets triumph in Alliance Cup epic

Neal Trotman clears an Oldham free kick

When Dave Edmundson coined his catchy little slogan I wonder if he realised just how apt it is for the youth team. It’s certainly ‘More then 90 Minutes’ for the lads as they forced extra time for the 3^rd time this season. This time though the outcome was different with a penalty shoot-out victory capping off an amazing match.

As the teams lined up you couldn’t help but notice the size difference between them. Oldham are a big, strong side – each one a boy in a man’s body. In the previous games against us this season they have come out on top more often than not and with this in mind perhaps the Clarets started shakily.

Early on the home side were a goal up as attempts to play the offside trap high up field backfired horribly and the Oldham striker ran clean through, just arriving at the ball before Michael Hale and diverting it past him. Not long after it was 2-0 as a corner was floated in and the defence stood watching allowing the same striker a free header, which he powered past the helpless Hale.

The Clarets were at sixes and sevens now and the supporters feared the worst whenever Oldham broke. Almost inevitably the home side increased their lead as more defensive blundering let in the Oldham number 8 who slid the ball low to Hale’s right and into the back of the net.

The Clarets looked down and out and even a well regarded website editor commented that he couldn’t see us getting back into it. The Oldham keeper had other ideas however, and as a right wing cross was floated over he inexplicably dropped the ball directly into the path of Chris McCann who couldn’t miss. This meant that with around 25 minutes elapsed the score read 3-1.

The first half continued on apace with opportunities at both ends. Oldham also had to make an enforced change following a clash of heads between Hanley and their centre-half. Both players were cut open but thankfully Hanley was able to continue.

The second half started with the same frenetic pace. Both sides had chances but it was yet another mistake which allowed Oldham to regain their three goal lead. A volley on the left side by the Oldham captain dipped viciously in front of Hale and the subsequent bounce deceived him totally and flashed into the back of the net.

Cayne Hanley set to return after receiving treatment to a head injury

Oldham continued their attempts to referee the game taking every opportunity to berate the official. Ironically it was this that allowed Burnley back into the game. Tired of the frankly appalling language being directed towards him he took aside two of Oldham’s worst offenders and booked them. The entire team took note and retreated into their shells. Burnley brought on Alex Taylor and went 4-3-3 and then things got interesting.

With around half an hour to go the Clarets started to make headway. Good work again by McCann saw him squirm into the box and draw the foul. Cayne Hanley stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way. Around ten minutes later a shot was cleared off the Oldham line but only as far as the onrushing Joe Booth who directed his header goalwards, where Hanley helped it over the line from close range.

At this point there was only one team in it and the Clarets sought to really capitalise on their momentum by adding another striker to the mix, sacrificing left-back Reilly, and changing the system to 3-3-4. Michael Hale was clattered making a save during a rare Oldham break but fortunately was able to continue following treatment.

There were chances for virtually all of the forward players, but time was ticking away. The referee was clearly enjoying the game as much as the Burnley fans and was determined to make up the time wasted by Oldham whingers throughout the game.

Then with around 94 minutes on the clock Ryan Townsend rose at the far post to meet a right wing corner and thunder the equaliser in off the bar, completing the comeback and forcing an extra 30 minutes.

Extra time brought a slight headache for the management as their attack minded finish to the game had left them facing half an hour with no left back on the pitch. It was obviously something that the Oldham staff had pressed upon their charges and it didn’t take long for the home side to exploit this gap. A quick break was made down this side and the Oldham player finished well, shooting across Hale.

The final fifteen minutes was all one-way traffic though. The behemoths of Oldham had run themselves into the ground and the footballing abilities of the Clarets were really coming through. Burnley had chance after chance and they were kept out by a combination of dogged determination, inspired goalkeeping and blind luck. However, it was left to top scorer Alex Taylor, clearly still feeling his knee injury, to smash in the goal and make it 5-5. The chances that Burnley had could have seen them run up a cricket score but Oldham held out and a penalty shoot out decided it.

Burnley stepped up first and Joe Booth slotted it in. Michael Hale then redeemed his earlier error with a comfortable save to his left. Nicky Platt, who had entered the fray moments before the final whistle, hammered home.

Michael Hale then made a great save low to his left heaping the pressure on Oldham. The home side did grab one goal in-between successful spot kicks for Pugh and Lafferty but the Clarets came through 4-1.

We now travel to Villa Park for the final and will play Swindon who beat QPR 3-2 this morning. If it’s even half as entertaining as today’s match it’ll be worth the journey.

Team:- Michael Hale, Rob Henry, Martin Reilly (Rob Turner (Nicky Platt)), Ryan Townsend, Neal Trotman, Joe Booth, Chris McCann, Tom Ince (Alex Taylor), Cayne Hanley, Kyle Lafferty.

Fixtures and Results

Cayne Hanley gets our second from the penalty spot Michael Hale makes the first of his two penalty saves Marc Pugh scores our third in the shoot out Kyle Lafferty turns away after scoring the winning penalty