King hat trick clinches title

Last updated : 27 April 2009 By Tony Scholes
Michael King - hat trick
The win made it impossible for City to get beyond us and with our goal difference we left Accrington tonight convinced that the title was ours, and that was confirmed beyond doubt with North End beating City.

This was a good performance from the reserves and the only surprise was that it took us until the second half to open the scoring. We had chances in the first half but, not for the first time this season, we came up against young Blackpool goalkeeper Mark Halstead who looks to be one to watch in the future.

He saved from Wes Fletcher in the opening minutes and repeated that on a couple of occasions. At the other end Blackpool had a couple of opportunities but generally we weren't too troubled.

It had been OK in the first half, after the break we played some terrific stuff with goals to match the play. The first goal came after a break down the right from Dil Chaggar. He got past his full back and got a good cross in. Wes Fletcher dummied and it was Michael King coming in from the left who hit home from close range.

Almost immediately we doubled the lead from the penalty spot. Liam Newman, on as a half time substitute for Dom Knowles, broke into the box and was brought down. The referee, and I use the term referee very loosely indeed, pointed to the spot and Fletcher converted.

If we thought that was game won Blackpool thought differently and came back with a superb goal from distance. It was almost Robbie like and left Stef Ritchie clutching at air as it flew in.

It didn't bother us and we came back with two more. Fletcher got down the left before laying the ball across for King who placed it neatly just inside the post and that was followed by the goal of the match.

Alex-Ray Harvey burst forward with the ball before playing the ball inside the defender brilliantly for King, driving in from the left, to hit home for his hat trick.

That ended the scoring but we continued to play some good football in what was now an excellent performance from a Burnley side made up of apprentices and one trialist, Kenny Strickland from Manchester United, with one schoolboy coming on as a second half substitute.

So mainly a youth team, and I've said it often recently that these lads, given the way they have played this season, deserved to win something and they have.

We were crowned champions of the reserve league when news came in from Preston that they had beaten Manchester City

Well done lads.

The teams were;

Burnley: Stef Ritchie, Kenny Strickland, Nik Kudiesky, Chris Lynch (Dan Brown), Jake McEneaney, Dil Chaggar, Chris Anderson, Alex-Ray Harvey, Michael King, Dom Knowles (Liam Newman), Wes Fletcher (James Taylor). Subs not used: Danny McDonald, Oliver Devenney.

Blackpool: Mark Halstead, Tim Horton, Kieran D'Arcy, Francesco Carratta, Ashley Eastham, Matt Kay, Joe Evans, Adam Dodd, Louis Almond, Josh Newman, Adam Foster. Subs; Jake Rooney, Joe Potts, Adam Miller.