Boxing Day Blues

After the stalemate played out at Turf Moor on Saturday against Derby County, the Clarets fans trekked across the Pennines hoping for 3 points to spring the play-off push back into action. Having parked up at the visitors fans car park and strolling down the hill into town, a middle aged Barnsley fan said to my dad ‘Follow me, I'll show you a quicker route to the ground.'

As we engaged in conversation the said fan commented ‘I don't think you will struggle to beat us today, we have a very poor side. You have a good solid outfit so I hear.' Having thanked the man for his directions we walked down the brew to the stadium in very high hopes.

Steve Cotterill decided to stick with the same starting line up that held Derby to a goalless draw at Turf Moor four days earlier, other than a change in goal and a change on the bench due to Danny Coyne's hamstring injury with Micah Hyde returned after serving his one match suspension.

It was Burnley who made the most promising start to the game with Steve Jones forcing a couple of early corners after good work down the left. However every time Barnsley launched the ball over the top, the Burnley defence were at sixes and sevens, especially Wayne Thomas who failed to deal with the lively Barnsley centre forward Paul Hayes all game.

After a quick break from defence, and with the Burnley midfield yards away from picking up the Barnsley midfielders, Grant McCann hit the cross bar after he was given time to pick his spot and unleash a shot from 25 yards. Jensen looked like he might have got a touch on the shot, but a goal kick was awarded.

Both goalkeepers had the opportunity to work off their Christmas turkey in the first half. Barnsley's keeper Nick Colgan saved well twice from Kyle Lafferty efforts. The first save coming after good link up play between Gifton Noel-Williams and youngster Lafferty.

Burnley stopper Brian Jensen was first called into action in the first ten minutes after a seemingly aimless ball into the right channel was misjudged by Thomas and as Duff tried to cover round, Hayes hit a stinging shot, luckily straight at Jensen, at head height. Jensen saved again minutes later when he was exposed to being one on one with Hayes. Jensen stayed on his feet as long as he could before Hayes shot, and Jensen diverted the ball for a corner with his left hand.

The Clarets continued to press forward in the first half but struggled to contain the pace and liveliness of the Barnsley forwards on the break. Jensen was called into action again a few minutes later, tipping a shot round his left hand post, again from Hayes who had managed to leave his marker Thomas.

Sam Togwell then hit the top of Jensen's right post after a wonderfully stuck free-kick from about 20 yards.

The Clarets went in one nil down at the break, and it was time to re-group.

Steve Cotterill made no changes to the team at half time and Burnley kicked off the second half. James O'Connor, one of the better performers on the day, got a foot hold in the midfield and broke up the play on numerous occasions before starting Burnley attacks. Elliott had a few promising runs down the Burnley right and Steve Jones tried to impose himself on the game.

Burnley piled forward, constantly aiming for target man Noel-Williams. A ball was launched into the Barnsley box which fell at the feet of Lafferty about 6 yards to the right of the goal, a yard in from the by-line. Lafferty did everything right and drilled the ball across the face of the goal and Noel-Williams was at the far post to side foot home - until a Barnsley defender came from nowhere to tip the ball round the post with his outstretched right arm. The Burnley faithful behind the goal shouted ‘PENALTY' in unison, and waited for referee Iain Williamson to point to the spot. Instead he pointed to the corner flag. The Burnley player's surrounded Mr Williamson who looked to the ground and shook his head in that manner that only referees do.

Mid way into the second period Burnley‘s best chance of the game fell to Jones. Having been moved into a central striking role and Lafferty moving out to the wide left, Jones latched onto a nicely weighted pass from wide man Elliott, and with the Barnsley defenders having held a line and claiming for off side, Jones was through one on one with keeper Colgan. Colgan was quick off his line and Jones skipped round him on the edge of the box, to the left of the goal. Jones tried not to over balance and swung his left boot. The shot was tame and the Barnsley right back Bobby Hassell slid in to divert the ball for a corner.

As Burnley threw more men forward, they became even more exposed at the back. Following a Barnsley break, and with James O'Connor and Chris McCann scrambling back, the pacy Kyel Reid wriggled away and was one on one with Jensen. Yet again the Beast saved and we could all breathe again.

With Burnley still searching for an equaliser, Steve Cotterill brought on Micah Hyde, Alan Mahon and Garreth O'Connor for Jon Harley, Steve Jones and Kyle Lafferty.

Hyde got into the action straight away getting booked for a careless trip, after only being on the pitch for 10 seconds. However Hyde did get his foot on the ball and Burnley started to play the ball through midfield in the latter stages.

Barnsley made two substitutions at the death that took over 4 minutes, however there was only three minutes of over time played. The men in yellow huffed and puffed to the end, substitute Mahon broke through the midfield in the dying stages only to slice a long range effort wide. That just about summed up our afternoon in South Yorkshire.

The referee blew his whistle and put us out of our misery.

Burnley now travel to Hull on Saturday looking for a vast improvement. A few weeks ago we would be travelling there with hopes of a win, but a better performance and maybe a point is the only realistic outcome we can hope for at the moment.

As for man of the match, Brian Jensen gets my vote. Having been dropped to the bench when Danny Coyne got back to full fitness on 28 November for the Leeds game at home, Jensen must have felt the pressure to perform, when coming on as substitute in the first half against Derby and starting the game today, and for me he has produced the goods in the past two games.

Confidence may be low at the moment and with Andy Gray out injured for a few more weeks yet, the coming weeks may prove very testing for this small Burnley squad.

One thing is for sure though, the Burnley faithful will continue to back Steve Cotterill and all the players no matter what, and let's hope we can end 2006 in style away at Hull on Saturday.