Seven goal opener down at Gawthorpe

The Clarets celebrate after going 4-0 up through Marc Pugh

It was a very different team to last year, with many of last season’s players having left the club, some being added to the first team squad and others injured. Shorn of many of their number who would add experience to the line up the young Clarets started with two in the side from the Centre of Excellence.

The game started gently with neither side really looking overly dangerous. The Chester team played some good football but seemed to lack a cutting edge while Burnley were struggling to maintain good possession, with too many forward balls not being held up by our attackers.

Just before the half-hour mark though our first good opportunity arrived as Ali Akbar hit a dipping volley from the corner of the box, forcing the keeper to turn it behind. The corner itself came to nothing, but the visitors were unable to clear their lines competently enough and as they pushed out Rob Turner beat the offside trap and fired home, in off the far post.

Five minutes later and Akbar again on the left looked up and played a perfect ball into space, though the heart of the static defence. Marc Pugh ran on to the ball, beating the advancing keeper to it and taking it around him, before stroking it into the empty net.

As half time approached Chester got their first sight of goal as a right-wing cross was met by the head of the striker and looked to be looping in, but Crossley was equal to it and tipped over well.

The second half started much the same as the first but it wasn’t too far in before Chester started throwing their weight around. There were a number of cynical fouls and eventually the ref was forced to book the Chester left back after a nasty foul in the corner. The young lad then seemed to lose his head, harassing the left back (and some spectators) and was swiftly removed. This led to a left-winger being dropped back and Burnley duly took advantage.

Marc Pugh immediately got down the wing and put a superb cross in to the back post and Jay Rodriguez will definitely feel he should have done better with a free header. Pugh, however, wasn’t the only winger enjoying his day as Akbar got another assist with a quality ball into the feet of Turner in the box, who again slid it past the keeper.

Two-goal Turner then left the field to be replaced by Dale Underwood, which saw Pugh pushed upfront. This move immediately paid dividends as Akbar charged up the wing and fired a cross into the path of the advancing Pugh, who stabbed it home at the near post. This signalled the end of Akbar’s involvement as he and left-back Reilly were replaced.

The arrival on the left of two players new to the game, didn’t help and within 10 minutes Chester had somehow managed to get it back to 4-2, with two goals from two attacks. The visitor then struck the bar with a dipping drive, which Crossley slightly misjudged (or had totally covered).

As full-time approached there was time for Rob Henry to pick up a booking for not taking a throw in quickly enough and Chester, despite being totally outplayed for an hour, bring it to within one goal as more indecision in the defence saw a shot fired under Crossley at his near post.

It was an entertaining game, though the final score shows there is definitely room for improvement in some areas of the team. Goals should be aplenty in this side.

Team: Mark Crossley, Rob Henry, Martin Reilly (Paul Casey), Jack Overson, Tom Blackler, Marc Pugh, Ali Akbar (Lewis Craig), Nicky Platt, Adam Kay, Rob Turner (Dale Underwood), Jay Rodriguez.