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Burnley fielded a strong side consisting completely of apprentices. Dan Brown came into the defence for my first viewing of him, partnering 1st year Nik Kudiersky. Wes Fletcher was also up front playing alongside Rob Turner as we lined up 4-4-2. Having played each other in a pre-season friendly a week and a half ago both teams had a fair idea of each others danger men and playing style. This could have been a contributing factor in the way the game started out as a scrappy midfield battle. The over-long grass and bobbly surface weren't helping either side in their attempts to play football.
Our defence did look a little shaky early on and after fifteen minutes we conceded an unlucky penalty as Kudiersky tripped O'Connor when turning to give chase. It was definitely a pen, just slightly unlucky how it came about. Fortunately for us Jon Sergeant guessed right and kept out the well struck Murphy kick.
Around the half hour mark we took the lead through a stroke of luck. Lewis Craig crossed the ball in from the left wing and Turner attempted to control it on his chest. The ball bounced away to him but was picked up by Fletcher, who slipped it home, even though he looked like he may have been in an offside position. Former Burnley CoE player Andy Smith was then booked for a late challenge on Sergeant, prompting the watching 1st team manager John Coleman to berate the ref for making, what was, the correct decision.
After forty minutes the best move of the match saw us double our lead. A long passing move from back to front found Craig and he swung in a quality cross which Alex McDonald met perfectly to hammer into the top of the net. We could have added another before the half time whistle as the Stanley keeper made a double save from Turner then Fletcher, with the second parry hitting the post too.
The last action of the half was a booking for captain Adam Kay, as Coleman got his wish. Kay was booked for his first foul and was obviously annoyed as he could have seen red immediately for deliberate handball then dissent.
The second half started with early chances for us. Alex-Ray Harvey broke into the box and could have attempted a lob, but instead squared it to McDonald who saw his shot smothered by the keeper at the 2nd attempt. We didn't have to wait till the third though as McDonald smashed home a Fletcher cross, giving the Stanley keeper no chance at all. The hosts drew a goal back almost immediately though as the ref chose to ignore his assistants flag and Smith broke free and fired home into the corner from distance.
McDonald was hunting a hat-trick however and his doggedness saw him win a free kick, central but 25+ yards from goal. He sized it up and curled it round the wall but was denied by the inside of the post. Stanley continued to look for a way back and must have thought that they were in with a chance when Grant got a lucky break off his own header and stylishly lobbed Sergeant.
The hosts drove forward to try and snatch an equaliser, but when we won the ball in midfield and played Turner in on goal. When he was brought down by the keeper after he had knocked the ball past him, we assumed we would get a penalty to put the match beyond doubt. The ref didn't agree however. It was central and the backtracking defender had to stop the ball from rolling over the line and the damage done to the keeper when he collided with Turners legs saw him have to leave the field on a stretcher. With the keeper down with a head injury the game was swiftly stopped. A drop ball saw the game restarted momentarily before it was halted again to allow the ref to get treatment as the contested drop had ricocheted directly into his face, nearly knocking him out.
When we finally got back underway we swiftly managed to win a corner on the right side. McDonald floated it over and Turner powered home a header for a well deserved goal. This was the last of our chances though Stanley did have a couple of opportunities during the 8 minutes of stoppage time and the game came to an end with the score at 4-2 to Burnley.
Best wishes to the young Stanley keeper who was in a bad way as the match wound down. He was certainly hurt badly and an ambulance had arrived as the final whistle sounded, with paramedics treating him on the side of the pitch. Here's hoping he recovers fully.
Team :- Jon Sergeant, Dean Stott, Thomas Bradley, Dan Brown, Nik Kudiersky, Alex-Ray Harvey, Adam Kay, Alex McDonald, Lewis Craig, Rob Turner, Wes Fletcher. Subs not used :- Stef Ritchie, Dil Chaggar, Ben Hoskin, Matt Lomas.