Jay Rod goal wins it for Burnley

Last updated : 16 September 2009 By Tony Scholes
Jay Rodriguez
Jay Rodriguez - scored the winner in first half stoppage time
Sunderland played their reserve games in the Stadium of Light until last season when they opted to move to the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground in Hetton-le-Hole, which is within the City of Sunderland.

It's the home of Hetton Town and attached to the ground is the Bob Paisley Bar & Lounge, named after Hetton's famous son who went on to become one of the greatest managers ever in English football.

I would never begrudge Paisley having his name on anything but the names in my mind on the journey to the north east yesterday were those of our former manager Harry Potts and also ex-Claret Ralph Coates, both originally from the small town.

The few Burnley fans who were at the game received a warm welcome although we did find the one stroppy steward who told us we were not allowed to sit in the small stand, the only seating area on the ground. So our vantage point was on the opposite side stood on the grass banking.

Our first game in this league saw us field a very inexperienced side with the first team in action at Hartlepool on the same night. This time, as Owen Coyle had said, we used the game to give our squad players a run out.

I can't remember the last time our reserve team started a game without a single apprentice on the pitch but that was the case here with three of the four new professionals being the youngest players on the pitch. One of those players, Alex-Ray Harvey, was captain of the side.

Right from the start it looked as though our front two of Wes Fletcher and Rodriguez would cause the home defence some problems and both of them came close to scoring the opener as they tried to set each other up with chances.

Not as though it was all Burnley in a very entertaining first half, not by any means, and we were thankful that Diego Penny was in top form in the Burnley goal. His handling throughout the game was impeccable and twice in succession he was called upon to make saves.

The first of them was a superb effort to his left to keep out a fierce shot and then he got down to his right to keep out another effort.

It was end to end stuff but just past the half hour Sunderland's Jordan Cook went down on the far side after a challenge with David Edgar. The Sunderland player stayed down and the game as held up for six minutes as he received treatment, which included oxygen being administered, after which he was stretchered off.

Not only did he have to be replaced but they made a double substitution once the game resumed, but the game continued to bring with it some chances. Again our front two combined well a couple of times but neither of them could just find the target and then Penny was finally beaten as Sunderland broke clear only for David Edgar to clear off the line.

It was hard to imagine that the score was still 0-0 as we reached 45 minutes, and it was even harder to imagine the three minutes added when the board went up given the long stoppage for Cook's injury.

We didn't need all three minutes to finally break the deadlock, in fact the goal came in the first of those three minutes. Again the front two linked up well and this time Wes played in Jay for a run at goal. He never looked as though he was going to do anything but score as he went one-on-one with the home keeper and he coolly slotted it home.

It was nearly two before the break as Fernando Guerrero got an opportunity but he fired wide. Still, it was Burnley who took the lead into half time.

The second half never really lived up to the first 45 minutes and at times the play was scrappy from both sides. Chances were much fewer and it was Guerrero who probably came closest for us on a couple of occasions.

We made a couple of substitutions with both Joe McKee and Dom Knowles coming on but you sensed it would remain at 1-0 with neither side able to create much. Then the home side broke clear and Penny was faced with a one-on-one himself.

Anything the Beast can do so it proved Diego can do just as well. He almost invited the Sunderland player to shoot early, which he did, and Penny saved it well. That was his last piece of action although the Sunderland goalkeeper had one late, let's do it for the cameras, save to make from Guerrero who almost beat him just inside his right hand post.

That was the last of the action and the final whistle signalled Burnley's first points in the league and it lifted us three places off the bottom of the league.

Our next away game isn't for another five weeks and before then we have two home games at Accrington against Hull and Liverpool. The first of them is the Hull game two weeks tonight.

For Sunderland, and for Darlington, now comes the wait to find how serious the injury is that Jordan Cook sustained. The youngster is currently on loan to Darlington but under the terms of the loan can still play reserve and youth team football for Sunderland.

The home club are reporting that he suffered a knee injury and coach Keith Bertschin said he thought Cook had suffered a bad knee injury at best and at worst could see the play out of the game long term. He's played five first team games for Darlington this season and hopefully the injury, reported by Sunderland as being caused when he fell awkwardly, will not be as bad as first feared.

Last night's teams:

Sunderland: Trevor Carson, Michael Kay, Conor Hourihane, Adam Reed, Dan Madden, Joe Cornforth, Roy O'Donovan, Robbie Weir, Oumare Tounkara (Nathan Luscombe 35), Jordan Cook (Liam Hubbuck 35), Liam O'Mahoney (Ryan Noble 81). Subs not used: Ben Wilson, Louis Laing.

Burnley: Diego Penny, Richard Eckersley, Michael Duff, David Edgar, Christian Kalvenes, Fernando Guerrero, Chris Anderson (Joe McKee 64), Alex-Ray Harvey, Brian Easton, Wes Fletcher (Dom Knowles 80), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Danny McDonald, Ben Hoskin, Michael King.

Attendance: 769.