Burnley see off Hull - again

Last updated : 29 September 2010 By Tony Scholes
Jack Cork
Jack Cork - another outstanding performance
Hull must be getting sick of the sight of Burnley. This is our third meeting in under a year; we've won the lot whilst scoring ten goals and Hull have managed to concede four penalties in the three games.

The home win last season wasn't without refereeing controversy but we were still deserving winners; we were by far the better side at the KC last April and again last night were fully deserving of our victory which could, in the end, have been by a bigger margin.

Over the last few weeks I've read criticism of our performances and results. When we beat Preston the critics said the performance wasn't good enough but when we played really well at Palace and drew 0-0 those same critics said we are in a results business and it doesn't matter how we play.

I'm not sure what they'll be saying now after last night. A comprehensive win for the results business and a performance that surely no one can criticise.

Strangely I'd had some doubts ahead of kick off. Maybe it was those suggesting that this was a pressure game after Saturday's draw; that anything other than a win would not be good enough. I needn't have worried because the result here was never in doubt once the first goal went in on fourteen minutes, the first of two very good first half goals.

Brian Laws made just the one change from Saturday's side with Dean Marney, a former Tiger, returning in midfield. Jack Cork dropped into the holding role and Graham Alexander had to settle for a place on the bench.

There have been accusations that we've started games too slowly this season, but that wasn't the case here and we played some good football in the opening exchanges. The movement was good and there was a good tempo, a word people who sit around me must get sick of me saying, to the start.

It wasn't one way traffic and Hull had their moments, particularly with Andre Bikey in one of his, shall we say casual moves. At times, he and Clarke Carlisle were offering each other the opportunity to do the defending, and as was said to me after the game it looked as though we'd signed the Chuckle Brothers to play at the back - "To me, to you, to me .....".

Having said that, I don't recall the extremely purple Brian Jensen having much to do as Hull struggled to create anything.

Then, we really did get a hold on the game with two very good goals in the space of ten minutes. You could say they came from expected sources in Chris Iwelumo and Chris Eagles, but in Eagles' case it was probably a big surprise, given recent games, that it didn't come back off the woodwork.

Wade Elliott played a part in both goals. For the first he played a lovely ball inside the full back for Tyrone Mears who gave Iwelumo the sort of cross he feeds on. He planted the header past Matt Duke for his sixth goal in Burnley colours.

That was on fourteen minutes, and ten minutes later it was 2-0 with the goal of the night. Elliott played the ball across to Jay Rodriguez who in turn found Danny Fox. The left-back slipped the ball through for Eagles.

This time the post didn't intervene and he hit a crisp shot across Duke and right into the bottom corner. He's been so deserving of a goal in recent weeks. This is a Chris Eagles we haven't seen before, a player in far better form than at any other time since he joined Burnley.

He spoke last week of his talks with manager Laws and what he wanted from him. It's worked and, besides the goals, this was a top performance from Eagles.

Hull had plenty of possession after the goals but they didn't honestly threaten, and one block apart it was proving another quiet night for the Beast.

It was still 2-0 at half time. It's long been considered a dangerous scoreline in that the next goal carries so much importance. If it goes 2-1 then it is very much game on but if it goes 3-0 then it is very much game over.

Five minutes into the second half it was very much game over and three minutes after that we'd got a fourth. The first two might well have been expertly crafted goals but the quick one-two in the second half were down to a couple of big errors in the Hull penalty box.

A Danny Fox cross was headed on by Jay Rod and inexplicably Daniel Ayala, the Hull defender on loan from Liverpool, stuck his arm up and handled the ball. Now I'm not so sure what Scott Mathieson might have given had he been the referee but Tony Bates, who had an excellent game, never looked as though he would miss it and pointed to the spot.

"Where's Grezza?" we thought. Everyone looked round, players and fans alike, but he captain was on the subs bench and the responsibility was with someone else for the first time since Andy Gray scored a spot kick at Charlton in December 2007.

Up stepped the extremely confident Eagles and he blasted it high to Duke's right. No goalkeeper was stopping that and the crucial third was ours.

Only three minutes later it was four. Mears again crossed well, this time for Jay who delayed his shot and eventually hit it straight at Duke. The goalkeeper dropped the ball and despite him and a defender both trying to retrieve the situation, there was Iwelumo to get his second and make it 4-0.

Well over half an hour to go you sit there hoping for a cricket score and invariably that doesn't happen. Hull boss Pearson admitted they decided on damage limitation and in that they succeeded with no further addition to the score.

The nearest we came was when Eagles tried an audacious effort from fully 35-yards that Duke managed to get round the post, and there were other half chances, some where we took the wrong options. Hull had a couple of opportunities with Fox's block on a Craig Fagan shot the closest they came.

We made changes but it didn't give us a spark, not as though we needed one. I'm happy for the last half hour to be like that in every game for the rest of the season if we are already 4-0 up.

The win has taken us fifth, and frustratingly had the penalty gone in on Saturday we would now be in second place. It's not bad is it. Yes, we could be right up there with QPR but given all the negativity recently this is a far better start than many might have dared hope.

As well as Eagles played, as well as the two full backs played, and as well as anyone else played, I really have to give Jack Cork my man of the match. The young Chelsea midfielder had another outstanding game here. If only we were able to sign him on a permanent deal.

Millwall now, then a break, then Sheffield United before we are back home again. Sooner or later we will have to start winning away games. How good it will be if it is sooner.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Danny Fox, Jack Cork, Wade Elliott (Ross Wallace), Dean Marney, Chris Eagles, Chris Iwelumo (Steven Thompson 76), Jay Rodriguez (Martin Paterson 70). Subs not used: Lee Grant, Michael Duff, Leon Cort, Graham Alexander.

Hull: Matt Duke, Paul McShane, Daniel Ayala, Anthony Gerrard, Andy Dawson, Will Atkinson, Ian Ashbee (Craig Fagan 52), Robert Koren, Tom Cairney, Nick Barmby (Kevin Kilbane 74), Jay Simpson (Mark Cullen 55). Subs not used: Mark Oxley, Liam Cooper, Jamie Devitt, John Bostock.
Yellow Card: Nick Barmby.

Referee: Tony Bates (Stoke).

Attendance: 14,458.