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Clarets beat the throw in boys
It certainly wasn’t a let down in the first half as we sorted out the Golden Boys somewhat and could have been more than a couple of goals in front at half time. The second half was a different story though but in the end we were deserved winners.
The only real surprise for me with the team news was the omission of Tony Grant who had a place on the subs bench, as experienced a looking bench as we have had all season. I can only assume Grant hadn’t fully recovered from the injury that had ruled him out at Bramall Lane.
It was a 4-4-2 system with Ade Akinbiyi up front alongside Dean Bowditch and we showed our intent right from the off against a Watford side under new management. They stunned everyone this week with the appointment of Adrian Boothroyd, obvious to most people that it was the cheapest option, and apparently the new boss is an innovative young coach.
I always wondered what an innovative young coach did and now I’ve seen I can only say I’m glad we don’t have one of these cheap options.
His plan was to try and stop Burnley from taking throw ins by placing a man right in front of the thrower. Late in the first half his ridiculous plan backfired but he’s only reached innovative idea number one and didn’t have a second one to go for.
Watford struggled to cope with us and had some worries of their own with the somewhat eccentric goalkeeping of Richard Lee. He made a complete hash of an Akinbiyi effort but managed to eventually gather it and then in a mad charge out managed to put one of his own players on the deck requiring treatment.
He hardly covered himself in glory either when the Clarets took the lead through Dean Bowditch although the finish by the loan striker was excellent. He run on to a long ball from Mo Camara and finished hard and low into the bottom corner.
I was surprised to hear the nonsensical 500 Miles, I thought we’d given up on walk ups, but there it was for the clapping sheep whilst some of us tried to celebrate the goal.
My brother quickly pointed out to me that with Bowditch having got that goal it left O’Connor as the only outfield player on the pitch not to have scored a goal for the Clarets this season. Perhaps I should be asking him for lottery numbers.
A second goal looked likely and we thought it had come when a ball across from the left found Oster who just couldn’t get a shot in. He tried to look for space but eventually played the ball for Mo who hammered home, only to be given offside.
At this point Watford were hardly threatening and the nearest they came was from a shot from distance after the game should have been pulled up following a handball. Pre-match discussions had centred on referee Pike’s inability to spot handballs on a previous visit and here he was again missing one that was so blatant. He got even better later in the game though.
It looked as if we might go in a goal up at half time but then thanks to Boothroyd’s throw in plan we got another. We’re not a side to throw the ball in long but today we did because of this tactic and it led to goal number two.
Mo took the throw, it was headed out only as far as O’Connor and he rifled in his shot to double the advantage right on half time. My brother gave me a knowing look.
In fact O’Connor has become the 17th player to score a goal for the Clarets this season, an incredible number given the number of goals we have scored and the fact that the departed Robbie Blake, who incidentally watched again from the subs bench at Birmingham today, has got thirteen of them.
It had been an excellent first half, had seen the defence put under little if any pressure and seen us dominate the midfield. O’Connor and Oster in particular had played really well, as had Bowditch up front who looked a very good player.
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So much so Watford rarely threatened to score and were reliant on long range efforts, that was apart from one clear cut chance they created when McGreal got in a superb block to keep him out.
Meanwhile they were still playing this silly throw in game and their players looked really embarrassed, laughing with the Longside who chose to cheer every time it happened.
Boothroyd finally went for Plan B and with seventeen minutes to go chose to make a triple substitution. Whether it was for effect or whether he really had some idea what he was doing we’ll never know but four minutes later two of them combined to pull a goal back.
Branchy gave away a corner on the Watford right, it was taken by Anthony McNamee and he found Dominic Blizzard on the near post who headed home. It was a poor goal to give away and one that Brian Jensen will be very disappointed with.
The clean sheet days are not as regular now and we’ve kept just two in the last twelve league games and as Watford looked for an equaliser Steve Cotterill made his own changes which allowed us to go back to a 4-5-1 formation.
Almost immediately the previously dithery Lee had to make and excellent stop from former Watford man Micah Hyde, trying to make up for the glorious missed opportunity earlier in the half.
We held Watford at bay and when the last goal of the game came it went our win to ensure the points. Again referee Pike chose not to bother with a blatant handball, this time from Akinbiyi has he got clear down the right. He didn’t just handle it, he virtually had the ball in both hands.
He got into the box and with a shot on he looked up, saw Jean-Louis Valois and rolled it across for him for what was an open goal. It had been something of a quiet game Ade but it was he and not the scorer who received the plaudits.
That brought it to an end but I was somewhat worried that it might not finish. I have always wondered what a match would be like at this level if it was played without a referee, today we found out as Pike virtually just let it go on without getting involved. He did though bring it to and end after three minutes of added time (suitably sponsored of course) and I think that means even the most pessimistic of Clarets should be confident of staying up now.
If we could have continued in the second half as we had done in the first then it would have been one of the best performances of the season but there are some concerns over that second period.
There was so much to enthuse over, and I think it is about time we considered offering John Oster a longer contract. He’s done well ever since those first two games and I think he could be a vital player next season.
And can’t we twist a few arms and get Cahill and Bowditch for next season?
We’re getting there – and in any case it was good to be back with some football this weekend. Now bring on West Ham.
The teams were,
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Frank Sinclair, Gary Cahill, John McGreal, Mo Camara, John Oster (Jean-Louis Valois 88), Micah Hyde, James O’Connor, Graham Branch (Michael Duff 81), Dean Bowditch (Tony Grant 81), Ade Akinbiyi. Subs not used: Danny Coyne, Lee Roche.
Watford: Richard Lee, James Chambers, Neil Cox, Jay DeMerit, Jack Smith (Jermaine Darlington 73), Chris Eagles (Anthony McNamee 73), Brynjar Gunnarsson (Dominic Blizzard 73), Gavin Mahon, Ashley Young, Hameur Bouazza, Bruce Dyer. Subs not used: Alex Chamberlain, Lloyd Doyley.
Referee: Mike Pike (Cumbria).
Attendance: 11,507.