It wasn't a particularly enjoyable night. It was largely an uninspiring night when we didn't often look capable of breaking the deadlock, and it was a poor night to be in the stands.
Despite the game being in the lower price bracket; despite us being in the top two of the league at kick off, there were less than 11,000 in the ground. And the atmosphere was absolutely shocking. For the most part it was flat, but the worst was the abuse that some of our players received.
I'm not a big Junior Stanislas fan, and most people will be aware of that, but with no more than five minutes gone he was subjected to a torrent of abuse from one section of the ground after a mistake.
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| Kevin Long helped the Clarets to keep a clean sheet |
This is a player who hasn't started a league game since the 2-0 win against Yeovil. Maybe Stanislas has enough experience to deal with stuff like that but there was worse to come when Steven Hewitt came on as a substitute.
Hewitt is not an experienced pro. He will celebrate his 20th birthday tomorrow and his Football League career, prior to last night, stretched to a substitute appearance against Brighton in April 2012 when he came on in the 87th minute for Charlie Austin.
It was the 80th minute last night when he replaced Stanislas. He came on, settled quickly and provided us with some real energy in the midfield as we pressed for a winning goal that would have taken us back to the top of the league.
He did some positive things but did give the ball away on one occasion that led to him being targeted by a section of the crowd.
The lad has been on the bench for the last couple of games because we are somewhat short on numbers. Anyone who watched his performance last week in the Under-21 Premier League Cup win against Sunderland will know he has deserved his elevation to the first team match day squad.
It was only last Saturday that we lost the leadership. It was not a good performance at Huddersfield but the massive Clarets' following got behind the team. That's how it often is away from home; I just wish it was like that at the Turf, because it most certainly wasn't last night.
Looking at the game, Stanislas, was one of four changes made by Sean Dyche following the Huddersfield defeat. Two of the changes were forced on him with Michael Duff out suspended and Danny Ings ruled out with an ankle injury.
Kevin Long came in for Duff whilst Stanislas took the right hand side berth initially with Scott Arfield moving into the centre. Dyche's two other changes saw Brian Stock and Keith Treacy preferred to David Edgar and Michael Kightly, the two players withdrawn at half time in the Huddersfield defeat.
Edgar and Kightly duly took their place on the bench alongside Danny Lafferty and goalkeeper Alex Cisak. Hewitt was one of three younger players to join them along with Cameron Dummigan and Cameron Howieson.
Yes, the circumstances were such that Dyche felt it was time to give them a place on the bench, although he could have opted for Joseph Mills and Ryan Noble, but their inclusion was richly deserved and it was noticeable that those selected were players who had stood out in that under-21 win.
With all those changes we might have expected a slow start. In some ways we got it but we totally dominated the opening exchanges against a Watford side that were giving the impression they weren't too keen on a trip to the North West on a cold Tuesday night in December.
For much of the first half we just couldn't find a real opening but we did have our moments, probably the best of which came when Stanislas, by now on the left away from the boo boys, hit a wonderful cross over that Arfield got to and forced Jonathan Bond into a very good save to his right.
Bond also did well to save a terrific effort from Treacy but as the half time whistle blew it was still 0-0 and there was much still to do to get a win.
If we had a difficult spell in the game it came in the early part of the second half. Watford seemed to have upped their game somewhat and created one or two opportunities for themselves. Lewis McGugan forced Tom Heaton into a good save, another shot flashed just wide and then they looked certain to score before Ben Mee got in a block.
When a Burnley defender gets in a block you don't really have to look twice to see who. It's always Mee and quite often it ends with him being in the wars. This time those wars came at the other end when he tried to get onto a cross. This one forced him off with an injury.
The bench quickly got Danny Lafferty up but Mee returned to finish the game wearing a numberless shirt and was Johnny on the spot to head off the line in what had now become a rare Watford attack.
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| Steven Hewitt was given his opportunity from the bench |
We replaced the disappointing Treacy with Kightly before Hewitt came on for Stanislas. We pushed for a winner but you sensed it wasn't going to come. For much of the night it looked as though it was going to be one of those nights that ended with Burnley 0 and so it was, only the second time we've failed to score in a league game this season and the first blank we've drawn at home since the Hull defeat last March.
It was disappointing and, as some of the results went our way, it meant a goal at the end would have seen us back on top of the league.
I hope we play better against Barnsley on Saturday and I hope the fans get behind the team considerably more than was the case last night when we had players coming in having not played much football.
That does leave a special mention for Kevin Long who helped, alongside Jason Shackell, to keep a clean sheet, our first since the QPR win, which ensured we were always going to get at least one point.
The criticism continues. Players are singled out for criticism on social media and on this web site's message board. The board are attacked for showing no ambition. Heaven help us if we were half way down the league.
Last night was our first home game since my friend Andy Wood so sadly passed away in November. He was missed last night and the empty seat in front left his friends with a poignant reminder of what we've lost.
At least I had some really good news last night. Just before I went into the ground I received a phone call from another friend and another committed Claret. He's had a worrying time health wise recently and yesterday had to go for a scan. He phoned to tell me that he couldn't make the game but also told me that the scan had given him the all clear. He was mightily relieved and I can tell you that is far more important than anything that went on last night at Turf Moor.
I know it would help if some bloke wasn't walking round the touchline before kick off with a mike bellowing 'Raise the Roof', but please let us all get behind the lads on Saturday no matter which eleven take to the pitch. We are third in the league; this team fully deserves the best support we can give them.
Up the Clarets.
The teams were;
Burnley: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Kevin Long, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Junior Stanislas (Steven Hewitt 80), Brian Stock, David Jones, Keith Treacy (Michael Kightly 69), Scott Arfield, Sam Vokes. Subs not used: Alex Cisak, Cameron Dummigan, Danny Lafferty, David Edgar, Cameron Howieson.
Watford: Jonathan Bond, Davide Faraoni, Joel Ekstrand, Nyron Nosworthy, Marco Cassetti (Daniel Pudil 80), George Thorne, Sean Murray (Diego Fabbrini 75), Cristian Battocchio, Lewis McGugan, Hector Bellerin, Troy Deeney. Subs not used: Gary Woods, Fernando Forestieri, Javier Acuna, Fitz Hall, Iriney.
Yellow Cards: Marco Cassetti, Nyron Nosworthy.
Referee: Michael Naylor (South Yorkshire).
Attendance: 10,910.