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The league is just about over now with only one game to go, that between Burnley and Manchester City which will be played next Wednesday at Accrington. City had, until this week, become our rivals for the league but they now need to beat us to finish second.
Morecambe, in their first season as a Football League club, won last season's reserve league but a disappointing start this season saw them placed next to bottom into the New Year. But a string of good results have lifted them and they now stand a point clear of Carlisle in second place but seven points behind the Clarets.
For much of the season our team has been made up of predominantly youth team players although Diego Penny has played regularly, Remco van der Schaaf was on view prior to going out on loan, and we've even had appearances from manager Owen Coyle including a goal for the cameras.
The title has been clinched this week with wins over Blackpool and Preston. I reported after the second win that our future is bright, and of that I'm convinced after seeing so many young players perform so well during the season. On Wednesday, in the second of those games, we included three schoolboys for the entire ninety minutes and all did really well.
The league was clinched on Monday after the Blackpool win with Preston beating Manchester City 2-0 on the same night. Rob Turner, a former Burnley apprentice who turned out against us two days later, scored one of the goals.
On Wednesday, as we were beating Preston, the league virtually ended with two other games. Blackpool were beaten again, this time at home to Morecambe, whilst the league's bottom two clubs Bury and Accrington fought out a 1-1 draw.
Apart from the one remaining game against Manchester City, and of course the two Youth Alliance League games that we have, there is the small matter of the club receiving the totesport.com Central League Trophy.
The news from Wednesday that it will be presented at half time on Sunday at Turf Moor has now been confirmed. Give these lads the reception they deserve.
This Week's Results
Monday 27th April
Burnley 4 Blackpool 1
Preston 2 Manchester City 0
Wednesday 29th April
Blackpool 0 Morecambe 1
Burnley 2 Preston 0
Bury 1 Accrington 1
Next Week's Fixtures
Wednesday 6th May
Burnley v Manchester City
Burnley Goalscorers
8: Fletcher, Rodriguez
6: King
5: Craggs
2: Fairweather-Johnson, MacDonald, Newman
1: Anderson, Coyle, Jones, Kay, Knowles
Kudiersky, Lynch, McDonald, van der Schaaf
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