Disappointing night for the reserves

Last updated : 01 March 2010 By Tony Scholes
David Edgar
David Edgar - gave Burnley an early lead
There was some experience in the side tonight as well as a trialist in Cameroon international Salomon Olembe who lined up on the left of midfield in a 4-4-2 formation.

We started really well and all the play was towards the cricket field and the City goal. Graham Alexander almost marked his return from injury with a goal and what a good goal it would have been. Steven Thompson laid the ball into his path with a header and Grezza's volley from just outside the box took a deflection which saw it go just wide of the post.

But the goal came following a free kick. Joey Gudjonsson played it into the box, the goalkeeper flapped and Thompson got to it before Edgar it a close range volley into the top of the net.

And so it continued with the Clarets having another couple of opportunities to double the lead before City turned the game on its head. They suddenly started to open us up and after two efforts went wide they hit the bar with what would have been an Edgar own goal.

There was nothing we could do when John Guidetti equalised with a shot from just outside the box. It curled in with Nicky Weaver, playing his first Burnley game, having no chance. He was unfortunate though when the same player scored again, this time getting onto a rebound after the keeper had saved well.

2-1 at half time and by then no one could deny City were worth their lead. When we came out for the second half we'd made a change with Olembe replaced by Alex-Ray Harvey. The trialist had looked anything but impressive and I suspect that might just be the last we see of him.

Almost immediately it was 3-1 but this was a joke of a goal, coming from a ludicrous decision by the referee to award a penalty against Michael Duff. Andrew Tutte made no mistake from the spot and that was really game over.

A lot of the play was scrappy and the Clarets went on to make two more changes. Chris Anderson came on for Alexander and then Wes Fletcher replaced Frédéric Nimani. The loan player had been poor throughout and Fletcher brought about a big improvement.

We might have got a goal back on a couple of occasions but when another goal came it was at the other end with City winning another penalty.

The referee made a right pig's ear of this one. The reaction of the players suggested that he'd got the decision wrong again but having given it he had no option but to send off Weaver for bringing down James Poole. Instead he showed a yellow card. And we thought Phil Dowd didn't know what he was doing.

This time Guidetti was given the chance to complete his hat trick. Weaver saved his penalty but he was first to the rebound and made no mistake second time round to complete the scoring.

It wasn't a great advert for reserve team football, but at least it gave some of our players some time on the pitch and also got Grezza just over an hour which is good news.

Now it is back to Accrington on Thursday (maybe) when we face Everton.

The teams were;

Burnley: Nicky Weaver, Richard Eckersley, Michael Duff, David Edgar, Stephen Jordan, Adam Kay, Graham Alexander (Chris Anderson 64), Joey Gudjonsson, Salomon Olembe (Alex-Ray Harvey 45), Frédéric Nimani (Wes Fletcher 70), Steven Thompson. Subs not used: Danny McDonald, Ben Hoskin.

Man City: Tobias Johansen, Tom Smith, Chris Chantler, Scott Kay, Reece Wabara, Ben Mee, James Poole, Andrew Tutte, Jack Redshaw (Ahmed Benali 81), John Guidetti, Jeremy Helan. Subs not used: David Gonzales, Sean Tse, Andrew Mitchell, Bradley Robinson.