Late win for youth team after red card

Last updated : 16 August 2014 By Tony Scholes
The teams on the way out ahead of kick off

The two Burnley goals came in the last 13 minutes of the game as we turned things round against the odds, with one man short and a referee who all but handed the points to the home team with a shocking decision.

Until yesterday I wasn't expecting a trip to the Lancaster area, and certainly not one to the home of West Lancashire League side Slyne-with-Hest, but I wasn't going to pass up the kind offer of a lift and after a slight difficulty in finding a left turn we were there in good time for kick off.

It's difficult at this stage of the season to establish the team news. Some of these players are new to me and I thought it was going to be a nightmare today situated at one end of the pitch. So thanks to goalkeeping coach Craig Mawson who went through the team and the subs for me just ahead of kick off.

It was the Morecambe goalkeeper just in front of us in the first half and we saw him keep us at bay almost singlehandedly at times with a string of fine saves. We might have had a penalty. Maybe it would have been a tough call but it did look as though Massanka was clipped as he looked to shoot.

There were no real worries, and it looked just a matter of time before the first goal came. When it did, five minutes before half time, it was at the other end with a double whammy for the Clarets in black.

Morecambe's first effort on goal left goalkeeper Conor Mitchell with no chance but up popped central defender Vashiko Dixon to clear off the line. Unfortunately it was with his hand and the referee had no option but to show the red card. Morecambe then duly converted the penalty to go one up.

Terry Pashley immediately sacrificed Jamal Crawford to get Shaun Hobson on the pitch to play alongside debutant Lewis Norvock, but there was no real response and we trailed 1-0 at the interval.

Twelve minutes into the second half, after a quiet opening, the referee was pointing to the spot again, but this time he got the decision horribly wrong. There was no foul. Norvock, I think it was, played the ball cleanly and I don't think he made any contact with the forward at all.

Quite how on earth he saw this as a penalty is anyone's guess, but he got away with the howler when Mitchell went down to his left to save the kick.

Mitchell had one more big moment in the game. This time the Northern Ireland Under-19 international made a mistake of his own and turned to see the ball he'd let through making its way into the net. There was, however, no need for goal line technology; Conor got to it inches before it crossed the line and hacked it away.

Until the last minute or so we never really saw Morecambe attack again as Burnley finally took full control. So much on top were we that the touchline discussion centred on how unfortunate we would be not to get a point.

Then, on 77 minutes, Hill equalised. He weaved his way through before finishing expertly. Six minutes later the young Clarets were really celebrating as Massanka converted a Waqas Azam cross from close range after the full back had set things up superbly.

In the end it was fully deserved, and to play over half the game with only ten players and come from behind to win meant it was an outstanding result.

That's two wins in two games, and next week we go to Tranmere for our third game of the season before returning home in three weeks time to play Shrewsbury which, like the Blackpool game, will be played at Padiham Football Club.

Today's team was: Conor Mitchell, Waqas Azam, Vashiko Dixon, Lewis Norvock (Brad Jackson), Andy Nugent, Jamal Crawford (Shaun Hobson), Andreas Bianga, Brandon Wilson, Christian Hill, Josh Dolling, Ntumba Massanka. Subs not used: Callum O'Neill, Mark Howarth.