Back down to earth

Last updated : 12 December 2007 By Tony Scholes
Chris McCann
Chris McCann - Man of the Match
'Welcome to dreamland' I wrote after the third of those away wins at Molineux, and that's just how it felt. We'd gone and played three of the best sides in the division on their own grounds and beaten them all with three excellent performances.

But it has been like this all season. Six times we've won away from home but not once have we followed it up with a home win and such is the home form that it is now thirteen years since we had so few points from the first ten home games of the season.

Some of those games we've drawn could well have been wins, some of them most definitely should have been, but we could really have no complaints last night after a poor performance that was more than a match for Stoke (last season) and the recent Hull defeat as the worst of the year.

Nothing seemed right. We didn't start well and the crowd were edgy. With only a few minutes gone a voice from behind me bellowed, "Bloody rubbish Burnley, get the ball on the ground". I've never played football in front of a crowd so I certainly cannot speak from experience, but I'm convinced this cannot help the players, but as the performance failed to improve then the comments got louder, more often and more condemning.

I know the players need to give us something to hang our hats on, but come on, we're just behind the play off positions, a win would have taken us fourth and yet for some the mere thought of supporting during the difficult games never comes into their heads. Still at least the Cotterill baiters sat just to our right have now been quietened.

More often than not away, and there have been some exceptions, we've started the game well with a high tempo and taken the game to the opposition. It happened at Scunthorpe in the first away game and again at Wolves on Saturday. Somehow it doesn't seem to happen at home and we aren't able to get on top and stamp our authority on things.

It was the same in this game against a weary QPR side who weren't too bothered about coming for a win. They kept things tight, packed midfield and once again we found ourselves unable to unlock this particular kind of door.

We had most of the play during a turgid first half but failed to make much impression on the QPR goal. At the other end they twice broke through following mistakes but we dealt with them and I don't recall Gabor Kiraly having very much to do, if anything at all.

A couple of crosses from Wade Elliott were the best for us in the early exchanges but the first real chance fell to Robbie Blake who was found by Alan Mahon. It looked a good chance but he failed to get a shot in and instead tried to play in Andy Gray. It certainly wasn't the night for our front two who both had very disappointing games.

The next time Mahon was in the action he all but gave us the lead. Just as at Molineux he hit a shot from about 25-yards, and just as at Molineux he saw it hit the foot of the post. A goal then could have set us up for a much better second half, but we went in at half time with the scoreline goalless.

If anything the beginning of the second half was worse, we didn't seem able to make simple passes and you could sense the growing frustration in the stands. Things weren't made any easier either when Clarke Carlisle went down after a challenge with a hamstring injury and was immediately withdrawn. Now we don't have many fit defenders with Steven Caldwell, Michael Duff and Stephen Jordan already out injured and so Chris McCann, as good as anyone on the field at the time, moved to the back with Joey Gudjonsson coming into the midfield.

We tried to get forward, we tried to break them down, but nothing was working and then on the hour disaster struck. Gabor had made a good save at the expense of a corner. That corner was hit to the far post where defender Damion Stewart was unmarked to head home.

Not for the first time this season we found ourselves a goal behind against a side who weren't even trying to beat us, and Coyle made a quick double substitution with James O'Connor and Steve Jones replacing Mahon and Blake. It meant Ade wouldn't feature and for some time in this game I thought he might just be the one who might get through their determined back line.

For the rest of the game it was almost like one way traffic but they defended well and had an answer to just about everything we hit them with. The nearest we came was an O'Connor shot which keeper Lee Camp saved well, probably his only difficult save of the night.

Much of the game was being spent in and around the Rangers penalty box and twice we went up for penalties for handball whilst there was a shirt pull on David Unsworth that was far more blatant than even Gray's at Wolves. Referee Pike hadn't used his whistle much all night and wasn't going to start now, he'd just about given up with making decision.

There was one final decision that brought an end to the contest. With the fourth official indicating four extra minutes we won a corner and Gabor decided to go up for it. They got it clear but when Joey messed up it left Rowan Vine with a clear run on an empty goal and he made no mistake to give the scoreline a ridiculous look.

Many fans filed out, others looked shocked, but the boos as that second goal went in and then again at the final whistle were just downright ridiculous. Yes, it was a poor performance, for me it was the worst performance of the season given that at least Hull were a far better side than QPR.

But come on, this is the first defeat in seven games, we've won those big away games. We're still eighth in the league which is brilliant. We were all frustrated and disappointed.

I've had problems choosing my man of the match recently due to their being so many candidates. This time I've had no such problems. I thought McCann was playing well in midfield and when he went to the back it made no difference at all, he slotted in alongside Unsworth as if he's been playing there all his career. Well done Chris.

This home record needs improving though, and fast, and I can't think of a better time to do it than on Saturday when for the second time in four days we are at home to the bottom of the league.

The teams were;

Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle (Joey Gudjonsson 48), David Unsworth, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Alan Mahon (James O'Connor 63), Kyle Lafferty, Robbie Blake (Steve Jones 63), Andy Gray. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Ade Akinbiyi.

QPR: Lee Camp, Bob Malcolm, Zesh Rehman, Damion Stewart, Chris Barker, Gareth Ainsworth (Stefan Moore 90), Adam Bolder, Mikele Leigertwood (Simon Walton 88), Scott Sinclair (Dexter Blackstock 75), Marc Nygaard, Rowan Vine. Subs not used: Jake Cole, Angelo Balanta.

Referee: Mike Pike (Cumbria).

Attendance: 10,522.