All over and the clock shows six minutes

Last updated : 04 April 2010 By Tony Scholes
Jack Cork
Jack Cork - played in Steven Fletcher for Burnley's goal
Goal one came after 3 minutes and 1 second, the third just 199 seconds later with 6 minutes and 20 seconds on the clock, and that is the most incredible start to a game at Turf Moor surely since the cup tie against Manchester United in 1954 when four goals were scored in the first seven minutes.

It's not the first time we've conceded three quick goals like that this season. Chelsea hit three in a seven minute spell, it didn't take Manchester City much longer at the City of Manchester Stadium, and Villa notched three in five minutes recently.

The difference has been that all the others have come away during a season when we've never got to grips with playing away from home at this level. This time it was in front of our own supporters and against a side that just love scoring goals at Turf Moor.

If anyone still had serious hopes of avoiding the drop, there was good news from Stoke with Hull losing 2-0 before we even got into the Turf for our late kick off where news came through that there were three changes from the side that hadn't bothered to get going against Blackburn.

Danny Fox was back for the injured Stephen Jordan with Chris Eagles and Robbie Blake back in for Wade Elliott and Martin Paterson. We needed some points and manager Brian Laws stressed the need to get the first goal, something we'd only done twice in the previous nineteen league games.

The first goal twice nearly went City's way in the opening three minutes. Brian Jensen made a comfortable save from the first one and the second deflected onto the post for a corner. Then came the 199 seconds of carnage, and as ever from poor individual errors.

3 minutes 1 second - the left wing corner went straight to Michael Duff who was marking fresh air inside the penalty box. He failed to clear the ball and merely played it nicely into the path of Emmanuel Adebayor who hit a shot goalwards.

Adebayor has been credited with the goal, but a close look shows it is clearly Carlos Tevez who scored, diverting the shot in from close range.

At that point I'd decided our hopes of winning the game were slim. No way could I see us coming from behind to win it.

4 minutes 44 seconds - Kevin McDonald gives the ball away very cheaply and then, inexcusably, doesn't bother to rectify the situation. The ball reaches Tevez who tries to play the ball for Adebayor, but Craig Bellamy sneaks in to score past Jensen with ease.

That's a draw out of the question now without doubt. Another home defeat surely on the cards and so early in the game.

6 minutes 20 seconds - Fox plays the ball back to Jensen whose clearance is poor. It's hit straight back for Tevez who this time plays the ball to Adam Johnson on the right wing. He in turn played the ball back for Adebayor who shot at goal.

It was routine stuff for a goalkeeper, but not for our Beast who made a real hash of trying to gather it, instead just pushing it nicely into the path of Tevez who couldn't miss.

Absolutely ridiculous stuff. The players look stunned, manager Brian Laws did no more than shake his head on the touchline, and some fans vented their anger by getting up to go.

Not many, but there were more heading for the exits when Patrick Vieira scored number four after 20 minutes. Amazingly we managed to concede again from a corner, this time Fox totally unable to stop him getting his header in.

It wasn't one way traffic, we did have our moments and only a superb save from Shay Given prevented David Nugent from scoring a headed goal from a corner. It would have been our first goal from a corner all season, but alas it was not to be.

Mind you, they could and should have had more and nearly got a fifth immediately when Tevez hit a shot against the post. That fifth came right on half time and frankly it was embarrassing. Just one ball through split the defence and Adebayor scored with ease.

5-0 at half time, apparently the biggest half time lead in the history of the Premier League. Defending that Kevin Keegan described as the worst he'd ever seen at this level, and from his Newcastle days he had some rank bad stuff to compare it with.

Then came the rain. Fourth official Kevin Friend was frantically keeping an eye on the pitch but they came out for the second half and the game restarted. I suspect referee Alan Wiley might just have considered an abandonment had the score been 0-0.

"I hope he calls it off," someone said to me. "Not for me," I replied. "I wouldn't want to sit through this again."

The surface was appalling, for a minute it could have even been Accrington Stanley's Crown Ground, but it didn't stop City making it six. For the third time in the game we conceded from a corner, this time Vincent Kompany headed home.

There was still over half an hour to go and I feared just how many they might get. I've previously seen us concede six at home (Hereford in 1987 and Manchester City in 1999) and then there were the two sevens against Watford and Sheffield Wednesday in Stan Ternent's Throw One In season. This looked as though it was going to be worse.

I think the worsening conditions ensured it didn't. City took the foot off the pedal and the only other goal was ours. Jack Cork, on as a sub at half time for McDonald, played the ball to Steven Fletcher who finished well. It was hardly a consolation.

So we avoided an eight, a nine or even a ten. But it took our goals conceded column to 71 in 33 games.

Positives? Yes, one big positive. Last week I thought the Burnley fans were disappointing in the derby, the whole place appeared flat. Yesterday, particularly during the first half they were magnificent in their support of the team.

Negatives? Too many to mention to be honest. It's sad to see, but Burnley Football Club is on one massive downer right now and something needs to happen to turn things round. I know some will say that's a change of manager, some will say it needs a change of attitude from the players. But whatever is needed must happen, because we are letting this whole Premier League experience disintegrate.

It's three successive home league defeats now. The last time that happened was the last time we'd been promoted. After an unbeaten home run we lost to Blackburn, Bolton and Wolves around the turn of the year in the 2000/01 season.

Coincidentally two of the teams who beat us then are in the three who have beaten us this time. Prior to that it was in 1999 when we lost to Gillingham, Manchester City and Preston, and the City defeat was 6-0. Then there were cries for manager Stan Ternent to be sacked but Barry Kilby stood by him.

Time will tell what happens this time.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Michael Duff, Leon Cort, Danny Fox, Kevin McDonald (Jack Cork 45), Graham Alexander, Robbie Blake (Wade Elliott 45), Chris Eagles, David Nugent, Steven Fletcher (Martin Paterson 81). Subs not used: Nicky Weaver, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Steven Thompson.

Manchester City: Shay Given, Nedum Onuoha, Kolo Toure, Vincent Kompany, Silvio Sylvinho (Nigel de Jong 67), Adam Johnson, Patrick Vieira, Gareth Barry, Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez (Alex Nimely 83), Emmanuel Adebayor (Roque Santa Cruz 79). Subs not used: Gunnar Neilsen, Dedryck Boyata, Javier Garrido, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).

Attendance: 21,330.