And in front of the television cameras

John Mcgreal - a rare mistake led to Derby's second goal

It nearly didn’t happen and even at 7 o’clock we were still awaiting news as to whether the game would go ahead following a day of heavy rain.

We were told that there would never be another match off for the weather at the Turf when we got the ‘Match Saver’ cover three years ago. Within a couple of months two had been called off and looking at the pitch tonight they don’t appear to be very effective at all.

There was surface water all over the place and in front of the Bob Lord Stand it was akin to a paddling pool all the way down the touchline. Ironically it was Derby who weren’t keen for it to go ahead, they weren’t going to miss out on £60,000 television money, but they had no option when referee Alan Kaye gave it the all clear.

It was going to be the Clarets who would regret that decision and right from the start we looked off form and should really have fallen behind early in the game but they managed to put a good chance over the bar from close range.

We were fortunate to survive again before we created our only real chance of the first half as Michael Duff got in a superb cross from the right that Ian Moore was inches from reaching as he slid in.

It hardly inspired Duff who was given a torrid time by Marco Reich throughout the night but he was not the only one off form.

Had Derby gone in front just after that chance for Mooro it would have been fortunate as an effort deflected off Ian Taylor and thankfully went wide.

The game was held up midway through the first half as referee Alan Kaye decided enough was enough and he was replaced by Lee Mason, a referee in his third season and refereeing Burnley for the first time.

The change of ref certainly didn’t help us and Derby remained on top although in the last ten minutes of the half we did seem to be finally getting into the game.

Even so we had to be thankful when the half time whistle blew that we were still level at 0-0.

The thoughts at half time were that we couldn’t possibly be worse in the second half and so were in with a good chance of winning it, and we started the second half on top as we took the game to Derby.

And the visitors had stand in keeper Lee Grant to thank for a tremendous save to keep out a powerful striker from Moore. The ball had fallen somewhat fortunately to Mooro as it bounced off Graham Branch but his first time effort was a good one.

It was Derby however, during our best period of the game, who took the lead. Richard Chaplow, frustrated after putting a poor ball out of play, then gave away a needless free kick on the Derby right.

Even so the routine ball into the box should have caused no problem whatsoever and only Mo Camara will know why he just let Marcus Tudgay run on to head down unchallenged to give Danny Coyne no chance.

It was awful defending by Camara but it was clear that his team mates were trying to lift him as we kicked off again.

Defensive mistakes like that have not been common place around Turf Moor this season and it was a shock, but nothing to the one we got six minutes later that saw the visitors double their lead.

John McGreal, in possession in the left back position, inexplicably played the ball to Grzegorz Rasiak just a few yards from him. The Polish striker squared the ball for man of the match Reich who had the simplest of tasks of rolling the ball into an empty net.

Turf Moor was stunned, I don’t think any of us could recall a John McGreal mistake of any kind prior to tonight never mind one like this.

Even at 1-0 you sensed we weren’t going to get back into the game and at 2-0 you knew it was all over. We did get a couple of efforts in on goal but both went wide and if another goal looked likely it was at the other end and certainly Derby missed at least one very good chance to make it three.

It really was an awful performance with few, if indeed any, players coming out of it with much credit. But all sides have bad days and they have been few and far between for the Clarets this season.

Ok, it hasn’t been a great week and the two home results have not helped build on the two excellent draws at Reading and Ipswich.

We weren’t able to make any inroads into the Derby defence tonight against a side that would certainly have been happy to go home with a point. It is obvious that when the manager gets the chance to strengthen his squad then it will be at that end of the pitch.

As for the defence, they won’t be making mistakes like that every week – we can certainly play so much better than we have done tonight. Let’s hope it was a one off.

The teams were,

Burnley: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Jean-Louis Valois (Tony Grant 66), Richard Chaplow (Richard Duffy 77), Micah Hyde, Graham Branch, Ian Moore, Robbie Blake. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, Amadou Sanokho.

Derby: Lee Grant, Richard Jackson, Pablo Mills, Tom Huddlestone, Jamie Vincent, Adam Bolder, Inigo Idiakez, Ian Taylor, Marco Reich (Morten Bisgaard 80), Marcus Tudgay, Grzegorz Rasiak. Subs not used: Liam Richardson, Nathan Doyle, Paul Peschisolido (Mr. Karren Brady), Junior.

Referee: Alan Kaye (Wakefield) – replaced by Lee Mason (Lancs) on 22 minutes

Attendance: 13,703.