Boothroyd, Whitestone and a Clarets fight back

Last updated : 01 March 2008 By Tony Scholes
Chris McCann
Chris McCann - played well in midfield
Some say draws are neither here nor there results but each one can be so different. The last time we played at home on a Saturday bottom club Colchester got a 1-1 draw against us and on that occasion I came home feeling as though we'd lost. Today I came home on a high after seeing everything possible go against us. This particular draw almost feels like a win.

That's probably because we twice came from behind in the last quarter of an hour with two goals from Robbie Blake after it had looked as though we would fall to a very undeserved defeat against a Watford side currently third in the league.

We can't point all the finger of blame for not winning at Boothroyd and his shocking ideas about the game, nor the most inept and appalling of officials in Darren Whitestone. We more than did enough to ensure we didn't win with some alarming misses, but as any manager will tell you he'd rather see his side miss chances than not create them.

The main culprit for the misses was Ade Akinbiyi. Now most people know I rate him highly but even I looked on in disbelief at his first miss this afternoon. He had literally an 'open goal' to shoot at and somehow managed to hit his shot wide. Discussions at half time put it on a par with misses by Delroy Facey in 2003 and Kenny Dalglish in the Milk Cup Semi-Final in 1983.

There were only just over ten minutes gone and by then we'd already had plenty of action. In the opening minutes we probably should have taken the lead when Kyle Lafferty shot wide after being put clear by Chris McCann but Watford bounced back from that to create a couple of half chances of their own.

We saw some early signs of Watford being Watford when James O'Connor went down after taking the brunt of Darius Henderson's elbow. Referee Whitestone incredibly didn't even yellow card the forward, an incredible decision but it was conveniently placed close to the Watford technical area where Boothroyd, Mackay and their cronies were making life very difficult for the assistant referee.

Lafferty and Akinbiyi again both went close again but it was Watford who went in front with the simplest of goals. Clarke Carlisle acrobatically came to our rescue to hack the ball away for a corner but Henderson rose unchallenged to head the flag kick in for the first goal of the game.

It could and should have been two within a couple of minutes but Brian Jensen came to our rescue. Graham Alexander allowed Nathan Ellington to go clear but Jensen blocked his effort and then got down again to save the rebounded effort from Henderson.

As much as we tried we just couldn't draw level. Andrew Cole just failed to get his head onto a Wade Elliott cross from the left wing and there were another couple of scrambles that we just couldn't turn in and when the half time whistle blew we were still behind.

We did get the ball in the net early in the second half. Ade turned in a Kyle cross but the assistant flagged for offside. If that decision was a correct one then it was one of very few that was as Whitestone completely lost the plot. Watford had played on him from the off, pushing him to the limit and he fell for it hook, line and sinker. It was purely down to his inability to referee the game adequately that it got out of hand.

Ade could have gone when he pushed him, and no one will know why Henderson didn't go after he flattened Jensen. It was downright shocking refereeing and the Football League are going to have to look very closely before allowing him another game at this level. They should also too be looking very closely at the antics of Watford both on and off the field.

Between all the pandemonium there was a game still being played and we were still behind. Ade had another chance but headed over and he was then replaced by Robbie Blake. It says much about Ade that despite his misses he still received warm applause as he left the field.

Robbie had an instant impact. In an incredible three minutes his corner was headed onto the post by Chris McCann. Watford broke from that and blazed a chance high and wide and from the resulting goal kick we were back on the attack. Robbie got on the end of a Cole back heel and we were finally level.

Fifteen minutes to go - could we go on and win it? Maybe we could have but Whitestone hadn't finished. Watford sub Jordan Stewart gave them the lead again, but was there a handball? Was there a foul of Steven Caldwell? Whitestone ignored it and did what he did all afternoon, gave a decision then got out of the way. This time Lafferty chased him but was booked for his efforts.

I was flat. After working so hard to get back in the game it looked as though we'd lost it, but what Robbie can do once, Robbie can do twice and with his next chance he placed the ball into the bottom corner off the post and we were level again.

Wade Elliott headed just over in extra time and then went down in the box. It wasn't a penalty but even if it had been it wouldn't have been given.

That was it; we'd got ourselves a point against all the odds. We'd had to battle against a referee every bit as bad as Lee Mason if not worse. This really was a disgraceful performance from the official but he'll probably have gone home thinking he'd done well.

As for Boothroyd, he quite frankly sickens me with his style of football. I believe he's doing this great game as much harm as Don Revie did years ago. It's not what the game is about and it is no surprise that more and more are now speaking out against him.

But Burnley are my team and I left the ground thrilled to bits with our performance. I honestly believe it is as good a home performance as we've seen since Owen Coyle became manager. We outplayed Watford, we created a bucket load of chances. Yes, we missed so many of them but on another day a lot more of them would have gone in. Just keep playing like that Burnley, you'll certainly get no complaints from me if you do.

I thought choosing a man of the match might be difficult. A lot of players did really well but there wasn't one outstanding player. It might have been Chris McCann who had a really good game in midfield, it could have been Jon Harley or even Clarke Carlisle or James O'Connor. But in the end my decision was made when the goals went in. Despite coming on as a late substitute it has to be Robbie Blake.

It's Hull and Stoke this week, hardly pure football is it? But at least we've seen the back of Boothroyd for another season and that has to be good news.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor, Chris McCann, Kyle Lafferty, Ade Akinbiyi (Robbie Blake 73), Andrew Cole. Subs not used: Gabor Kiraly, David Unsworth, Mark Randall, Joey Gudjonsson.

Watford: Richard Lee, Adrian Mariappa (Jay DeMerit 61), Leigh Bromby, Danny Shittu, Matt Sadler, Tommy Smith (Jordan Stewart 83), John-Jo O'Toole, John Eustace, Jobi McAnuff, Nathan Ellington (Steven Kabba 73), Darius Henderson. Subs not used: Mart Poom, Collins John.

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northampton).

Attendance: 13,677.