Back to winning ways

Last updated : 24 October 2007 By Tony Scholes
Gabor Kiraly
Gabor Kiraly - magnificent save to deny Jamie Cureton
We're in a results business, and that's what we got, but it was hard work getting there and there was a massive feeling of relief when referee Michael Jones blew that final whistle to end Norwich's attempt at a come back.

And come back it would have been after the Clarets had stormed into a two goal lead within the first four minutes of the game and left the Norfolk strugglers for dead, and such is their form right now that it will take more than one of Delia's famous rallying calls to sort this one out.

Results do matter. That was very much pointed out to me this weekend after I'd dared to admit to being impressed with our performance at Barnsley. Too many draws, another bad run without a win, I was told along with a suggested that the only thing that matters is what goes in the newspapers.

This morning's newspapers have got Burnley 2 Norwich 1, they have got us with three more points, and this is a results business. So we had a good night, even though getting there was not as smooth running as we might have thought it would be after that opening double whammy.

Steve Cotterill made three changes to the side that had drawn at Barnsley. Back came fit again Robbie Blake and the 'jet-lagged' Kyle Lafferty at the expense of Ade Akinbiyi and Alan Mahon, whilst David Unsworth was in for injured captain Steven Caldwell with Graham Alexander taking the skipper's arm band.

Norwich had two players in their side I wanted to check out. We'd been linked with Jon Otsemobor and I was keen to see what we might have missed out on, and then there was a surprise recall for Luke Chadwick. Would he show us something that would have us believing we should have tried to sign him?

I've been to games when a side has scored in the very first minute, but not often when the opposition have kicked off, and also won a corner before the goal. It was Norwich who got the game underway, playing towards the Jimmy Mac, and they won that immediate corner.

A set piece against us so early, given our recent form, was not a good start, and once more a goal came from a conceded corner. Kyle was the one to clear the danger and he went on a surging run before playing the ball out to the right. It was meant for Chris McCann but somehow it reached Wade Elliott. Elliott got his cross in and there was Robbie Blake at the far post, totally unmarked, to head home.

A Robbie Blake header, not the most likely of sources for a Burnley goal but we were in front after just 55 seconds, and there was better to come and again Blake was a central figure. He collected the ball on the left hand side and moved into the box. Did Michael Spillane catch his ankle? I'm not certain, but he definitely pulled his shirt and referee Jones pointed to the spot.

Up stepped Andy Gray. He sent Scottish goalkeeper David Marshall the wrong way, and with less than four minutes gone we were 2-0 up and surely coasting to a comfortable victory against a side who just can't buy a point right now.

I looked across at the contingent of Norwich fans in the cricket field stand, sat alongside our new hut, and for a brief second I felt sympathy for them. I've been there countless times, the game virtually over before its really got started, and miles away from home. It was just a brief second, no more though.

Burnley continued to take the game to Norwich, we played some expansive football and Lafferty, out on the left, seemed to be involved in everything. At times wasteful, at times too eager to shoot, but there's no doubt he's just getting better and better.

The main disappointment was that we didn't add to our lead before half time although we'd hardly been threatened at the other end. Certainly I couldn't agree with a comment I heard at half time that Norwich had been the better side other than the first five minutes.

John Mullin and Gareth Taylor came on to warm receptions at half time and we got ourselves ready for an onslaught in the second half. All we needed was that third and it would be game over and we could really turn it on.

We went for that third goal early in the second half. Robbie shot just wide, Marshall made an excellent save from Kyle, but it just didn't come and then Norwich brought on the big guns. I thought Ronnie Jepson and Peter Swan looked a bit on the big side in their latter days at Burnley, but this was like something I've never quite seen before.

Described this morning on our message board as making David Unsworth look like Kate Moss, on came John Hartson. The yellow shirt and the hardly fitting green shorts didn't really do him justice. "If this lump scores against us, I'm off," I heard as the game restarted.

He didn't score, but he did get the ball down for Norwich's Chris Brown to score his first goal for the club, not bad for a striker now nine months into his Norwich career. Suddenly there was a game on, and we'd over twenty minutes remaining.

Both teams could and probably should have scored again. Alan Mahon, on as a sub for Robbie Blake, hit a cross in the direction of Kyle. It looked a simple header for the unmarked striker, but somehow he managed to head it eighteen yards wide, the ball going across the line right by the edge of the penalty box.

A goal then would have destroyed Norwich, the miss seemed to give them a real belief they could get something, and they so nearly did. Jamie Cureton had come on for Norwich and suddenly he found himself in front of goal with only Gabor Kiraly to beat.

He didn't score, but that was down to a magnificent save from Gabor, who got down to his left to save. That proved to be Norwich's last chance and we had a fairly quiet last ten minutes before celebrating our first home win in over ten weeks.

We really should have had this one won earlier, we should never have been just one goal in front, and should never had been in the position of relying on Gabor to ensure we did win it. He had a good game, and wins my man of the match vote, but there were certainly other candidates.

Robbie Blake was close for me, don't we look a better side with him on the pitch? And not forgetting Kyle. At times he wastes the ball but he terrorised the Norwich defence at times, and yes I am very relieved we didn't sign Jon Otsemobor. As for Chadwick, was he really playing?

It's a win, we are in the results business, and in my newspaper this morning it reads:

BURNLEY 2 NORWICH 1

The teams were;

Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, David Unsworth, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, John Spicer, Chris McCann, Kyle Lafferty (Ade Akinbiyi 78), Robbie Blake (Alan Mahon 57), Andy Gray. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Jon Harley, James O'Connor.

Norwich: David Marshall, Jon Otsemobor, Ian Murray, Jason Shackell, Simon Lappin, Luke Chadwick (Jamie Cureton 69), Michael Spillane, Darel Russell (Jimmy Smith 84), Darren Huckerby, David Strihavka (John Hartson 58), Chris Brown. Subs not used: Lee Croft, Chris Martin.

Referee: Michael Jones (Chester).

Attendance: 10,133.