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After a fortnights break of boring, boring England it was back to the bread and butter and the strong 1600 travelling faithful were eager and vociferous. And I soon found out why in true travelling style.
On reaching Barnsley train station, via beautiful Wakefield, I was picked out by a fellow fan who had mistaken me for my brother despite several explanations of who I was not. A beer and a chat later Sir Ingham had explained his and a dozen or so more groups' starting off point at 8:23am from Manchester Road station to Barnsley Junction 2:00pm. The Yorkshire crawl was a mammoth trek through Yorkshire's backstreet ale joints, pubs and as seen Wakefield's portacabins.
Energised on by the loud faithful Burnley we controlled the ball; looked balanced and shaped and played simple passing football - Elliott began his consistently threatening low crosses; Carlisle headed over from 8 yards and Burnley got their deserved early goal. After several throw-ins on the left hand side Gray turned on the edge of the box and spread the ball wide to Elliott who quickly aimed another cross along the 6 yard box. A Barnsley defender cleared the ball but fortunately hit an oncoming Gray on the chest and into the net to send us wild. Elliott soon after cracked a 25 yard half-volley wide to give Burnley the opening stages.
Barnsley's first real effort came from a sliced Martin Devaney shot on the right edge of the box before the danger signs hit us with a long throw-in causing havoc that was reminiscent of McAteer's opening goal for Rovers years ago. But it was Burnley who continued dominating possession and created several openings: a Mahon free-kick was wasteful; Elliott tried an ambitious right foot far-post curler; Jordan should have crossed better from the by-line after good inter-play with Mahon and a strong penalty appeal for handball was turned down before a goal-line clearance. We could have been 3-0 up and more had keeper Heinz Muller not superbly saved from a Gray header and Carlisle again heading over after a floated Mahon corner.
As half-time approached Barnsley had several break-away attacks after some sloppy midfield passing and a drilled free-kick from Roberto Carlos look-a-like Dominik Werling feared our dominance would be punished. But as the team passed us into half-time to a rapturous applause the train journey was seemingly heading up steam for 3 points.
And for the first 15 minutes of the second half we again began in cruise control with Wade forever attacking Werling but consistently missing Burnley's strikers hitting everyone but them. But our brakes again were slammed on and inspired by their quick right winger, Jamal Campbell-Ryce; Barnsley began to exploit our spacey left-hand side. Tactically replacing Mahon with Kyle it was hoped to peg Barnsley back but they gambled and equalised shortly after. Several corners ended with a burst to the near-post which sucked in several Burnley defenders before their striker glanced a header onto the post, which luckily bounced straight to an unmarked Mostto who tapped in from 6 yards. A moment of concentration and Barnsley were heading up steam and continued to probe.
But the Clarets continued their own pressure and several corners produced some head tennis moments and another possible penalty decision in the dying minutes when another hand-ball looked likely before being scrambled away. Kyle made his presence felt and attempted his right foot speciality from the left and Campbell Ryce again sprinted away for more corners but there was to be no winner for either side and the decent Lee Probert blew the final whistle.
Despite gaining a point this was most definitely 2 points dropped after being, for the majority of this game, comfortable. Yet, as we all know, comfortable is never enough and our concentration suggests this - some wasteful chances; poor final balls; inability to command our box and stop crosses is our Achilles heel. No mistake Barnsley were resilient; pressurising and looked a team with belief, confidence and some quality with the probing Campbell-Ryce, play-maker captain Brian Howard and keeper Muller. Yet it still should have been 3 points with expectations and pressure rising for the upcoming home games against disarrayed Naarch and, as my Dad says, a Lard-Arse inspired Southampton.
A good all-round team performance but my Man of the Match is Chris McCann who is becoming stronger; versatile and more knowledgeable about his position. Playing the Barry-esque role today he was dogged; split up vital plays; more consistent in his distribution and played deeper allowing depth and space for Spicer to support and Wade and Mahon to play wider.
Keep the Faith.