A frustrating afternoon

Last updated : 26 September 2010 By Tony Scholes
Clarke Carlisle
Clarke Carlisle - Man of the Match
Without hitting the heights of the Carling Cup win against Bolton, and without coming close to the level of performance we showed at Crystal Palace a week earlier, this was a game we really should have won and in that respect you have to say it is two points dropped.

Despite now playing as well as in those two games we still created chances, missed a penalty, hit the woodwork twice, something that is becoming a regular occurrence, and saw former England goalkeeper David James make a string of good saves. On any other day we would probably now be celebrating a win and enjoying a place back in the top six places in the Championship.

It was never going to be like the Bolton game and a quick glance at the cricket field stand ahead of kick off told you that. There were over 2,400 in there on Tuesday for the cup tie, but with Bristol City having announced sales of just 289 it was always going to lead to a flatter atmosphere. With the Preston following of 1,243 being the previous lowest this season it was Bristol City's last visit to Turf Moor when there was such a sparse number in there.

They'd turned up to watch a team for whom keeping a clean sheet was the be all and end all of their ambition against a Burnley team who are constantly putting themselves under pressure to win home games because of the lack of points on our travels.

Brian Laws made one change from the team that had beaten Bolton with Brian Jensen coming back in place of Lee Grant. It meant a return to the league side for Graham Alexander, who had been left out at Palace, with Dean Marney on the bench.

Fit again Ross Wallace was on the bench with Jay Rodriguez preferred. This was only Jay's third start in league football for Burnley and his first since April 2009 when he was in the line up for our Easter Monday defeat to Cardiff at Ninian Park.

Jay was to have a dramatic start to the game and one that perhaps had an effect on his performance for the rest of the game. With less than twenty seconds gone he committed the first foul of the afternoon and incredibly referee Scott Mathieson, who was about to redefine the boundaries of poor refereeing, got out his yellow card. It really was the start of a shocker for the diminutive man from Stockport who never got a grip on proceedings all afternoon.

If that upset us, then it wasn't long before he upset the visitors as Jon Stead went down under a challenge from Andre Bikey. Stead, not the best at staying on his feet, was demanding a penalty and red card but he got neither as Mathieson, miles away, waved play on.

It was a strange sort of start, epitomised by Bikey who at times was all over the place and he was the second to go in Mathieson's little book. Strange that already similar offences were dealt with differently giving the suggestion that picking six winning lottery numbers would be a much easier task that working out the referee's decisions.

Overall it was a slack start to the game but it started to come to life as Burnley stepped things up a bit and we really should have gone in front on 25 minutes. A ball across from Danny Fox was expertly headed down by Chris Iwelumo to Chris Eagles on the right hand side.

Eagles flicked the ball over the defender for the onrushing Tyrone Mears who goes down in the box. City boss Millen wasn't so sure and neither was I, but on seeing it again this one looks a correct one and a penalty it was.

That's it, we knew it would be a goal, but we all sat stunned as Alexander's penalty went wide. I imagined that one day he might fail to score from one but assumed it would be a good save; I never expected him to miss target.

It was his first miss in 19 attempts for Burnley since he first took a spot kick at Nottingham Forest just over two years ago. I pity the poor goalkeeper who faces the next faces on from him.

Even though he missed, it lifted us and for the remainder of the first half it was better. Both Jay Rod and Iwelumo came close and then James saved an Alexander free kick. He couldn't hold it but was so alert to grab it at the second attempt as Jack Cork came in.

It was still 0-0 at half time but by now we very much had the upper hand and that continued after the break as we attacked the Jimmy Mac end of Turf Moor. Clarke Carlisle, in top form again, should have done better but missed his headed from a corner.

But it wasn't all one way and City twice came close. On one occasion Jensen saved although a flag had gone up for offside and then they missed their best chance when Fontaine headed wide.

Between those two rare opportunities for the visitors we did what we seem to do best right now and hit the woodwork. Twice at Palace, twice against Bolton and this time it was James thankful as the woodwork was hit again, this time by his own player Cole Skuse who had to get in ahead of Jay.

Marney came on for Grezza and we moved up a gear. James saved from Eagles and the same player shot wide from the edge of the box. It was all Burnley now but the goal wouldn't come and you sensed it was just going to be one of those days.

Then, in stoppage time, came the very last chance and had it gone in it would as been as rare as a Penny Black. Wallace, on as a sub, and out on the right wing, turned inside the defender and crossed left footed.

There was Wade, climbing high to head against the bar. I don't think I can recall an Elliott header at goal before but he was within inches of winning it for us. Three games in a week, six times against the woodwork, the luck has got to turn.

So a point only, and we'd failed to score, just as we'd done at Palace. On another day this would have been a more than comfortable victory, and I do think had that penalty gone in we'd have won it convincingly.

It was not to be. We'll play worse and win, but we will play better than this, in fact we have done twice in the last week. It's coming, we're not far away and I think it is only a matter of time before we are up there challenging.

Clarke Carlisle was my man of the match. I think he's been outstanding in both games this week and his manoeuvring away from the visiting manager on Tuesday was a wonderful added bonus. Yesterday he had to contend with the, at times, walkabout Bikey. Carlisle in this form is as good as anything in the division.

Hull next, let's get that win and get moving again.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Danny Fox, Graham Alexander (Dean Marney 62), Wade Elliott, Jack Cork, Chris Eagles, Chris Iwelumo (Steven Thompson 74), Jay Rodriguez (Ross Wallace 79). Subs not used: Lee Grant, Michael Duff, Leon Cort, Martin Paterson.
Yellow Cards: Jay Rodriguez, Andre Bikey, Steven Thompson.

Bristol City David James, Christian Ribeiro, Louis Carey, Liam Fontaine, Jamie McAllister, Cole Skuse, Danny Rose, Marvin Elliott, Danny Haynes (Brett Pitman 55), Jon Stead, Albert Adomah. Subs not used: Dean Gerken, Damion Stewart, David Clarkson, Lee Johnson, Ivan Sproule, Jamal Campbell-Ryce.
Yellow Cards: Jamie McAllister, Danny Rose.

Referee: Scott Mathieson (Stockport).

Attendance: 14,540.