Twelfth-placed Blackpool’s pre-match away record of W1 D3 L2 was identical to Burnley’s home record, with the Tangerines’ only away success having come at Hull on the opening day and their most recent trip having resulted in a 4-0 hammering at Upton Park. Centre-back Ian Evatt and long-serving midfielder Keith Southern returned after missing the previous week’s home defeat by Nottingham Forest, and in the absence of Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Brett Ormerod started up front with the evergreen Kevin Phillips, scorer of six goals so far and always a man to keep an opposing defence on its toes.
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| Charlie Austin - brilliant game |
A good derby atmosphere was already apparent among the 15,600 crowd which included a good number who had made the 40-mile trip from the seaside and were in good voice as their team kicked off into the stiff north-easterly wind and towards the Jimmy McIlroy stand.
Eddie Howe, meanwhile, had restored Marvin Bartley, Ross Wallace, Junior Stanislas and Charlie Austin to starting-duty after the 17th - placed Clarets’ uninspiring midweek performance at Cardiff in the Carling Cup. He had to make a further change after just 9 minutes, as the apparently injured Brian Easton was replaced by Andre Amougou, who slotted in centrally beside David Edgar whilst Ben Mee moved across to left-back.
Although Blackpool’s Jonjo Shelvey might have done much better than to miskick from Baptiste’s cross after only five minutes, both sides were slow to get to grips with the rain-soaked pitch and the wind. A sudden gust caused Edgar to slice a clearance backwards although keeper Lee Grant prevented a Blackpool corner by catching comfortably. Edgar then had a telling-off from Grant for hesitating in possession near goal and almost allowing Ormerod in.
However, the Clarets seemed to settle after Amougou’s introduction, and began to get forward with purpose. Blackpool defender Cathcart was at full stretch to cut out Austin’s low ball in from the right and deny Jay Rodriguez a finishing touch.
On 20 minutes, Burnley’s increasing pressure was rewarded with the opening goal. A right-wing corner was taken short by Wallace to Stanislas, who, rather than completing the one-two, went outside the full-back and put over a peach of a cross for the diving Charlie Austin to reach just in front of Cathcart and bullet his header high inside the near post.
As the Clarets continued to press, on 28 minutes Tangerines’ defender Crainey saw only yellow for a deliberate handball just outside the penalty area which certainly robbed Charlie Austin of a clear goalscoring opportunity and should have seen the Blackpool player sent off – but in any case, Crainey’s punishment - along with Burnley’s lead - was immediately doubled as Ross Wallace (formerly of the Seasiders’ arch-enemies, Preston) stepped up to hit a superb curling left-foot free-kick inside the angle of post and bar, leaving keeper Gilks helpless and rooted to the spot. The resultant pile-on celebration in front of the James Hargreaves stand was enough to answer any of the doubts expressed in previous weeks about team spirit under Eddie Howe. Even Amougou, who had briefly argued with Wallace over who was to take the free-kick, congratulated the little Scot with a friendly and no doubt apologetic pat on the head.
Austin, having a brilliant game, then went close to a third Burnley goal when another diving header from a superb Stanislas left-wing cross wasn’t far wide of the far post.
There was no let-up for the hard-pressed Blackpool midfield and defence, and as half-time approached, one or two players seemed to be losing their cool. Shelvey was undoubtedly a very lucky boy to escape with a yellow card and a lecture from over-lenient referee Michael Oliver when perhaps a red one should have followed an appalling over-the-top challenge that left Burnley’s Ben Mee in a heap on the Clarets’ left touchline.
The interval was greeted with well-merited and enthusiastic applause from the home fans, who had seen their team in more or less full control of the game for the last 35 minutes. It was clear, though, that the home team would have some defending to do in the second half, as Blackpool were bound to come out fighting, and with the wind now behind them.
After Burnley fan and England fast-bowler Jimmy Anderson had been welcomed to perform the half-time draw, the Blackpool fans, who had understandably been very quiet for most of the first half, attempted to rally their players. However, it was Burnley, in spite of the driving rain also now in their faces, who continued to hold the initiative. An immediate and sustained period of pressure looked as though it might lead to a quick third goal, and was broken only when Chris McCann’s attempted cross from the left went out off a defender but the referee wrongly awarded grateful Blackpool a goal-kick.
The Tangerines did now begin to push forward and cause some anxiety, although Edgar and the imperious Amougou were mostly on top where attacks reached deep into home territory. The wily veteran Ferguson occasionally shook off Marvin Bartley’s shackles, and Phillips began to show glimpses of his undoubted class. Lee Grant got down well to hold a Shelvey effort from near the left-hand corner of the penalty area, but in truth it was a fairly routine stop for the Burnley keeper. His next save, when he got down smartly to his left again to turn Ormerod’s near-post effort one-handed for a corner, was a better one, and even more impressive was another that followed, from McManaman’s low drive.
On 73 minutes, Holloway made three attacking substitutions : Phillips, Ormerod and Ince were replaced by Lua Lua, Bogdanovic and McManaman, but six minutes later Burnley broke with purpose down their right ; a lovely dinked ball over two defenders by Wallace set up Austin to get to the touchline, and his accurate pull-back found Bartley, ten yards out in front of goal, for him to coolly sidefoot in past a defender on the line and in off Gilks’s right-hand post. The young Burnley midfielder, fast becoming a Turf Moor favourite, had every right to be overjoyed with his first goal for the club.
Cue home chants of ‘Are You Preston In Disguise ?’
And cue more Blackpool pressure in response. A superb last-ditch intervention by Edgar was needed to thwart Southern as he slid in to apply a finishing touch to Bogdanovic’s ball across the box.
It wasn’t all Blackpool, though, and indeed they were very fortunate not to go four behind when Austin inexplicably spurned the easiest chance of the match, tapping wide from six yards out when set up with a wide open goal by McCann’s inviting pass.
In added time, just when it seemed the Clarets were at last to gain a first home clean sheet of the season, Edgar spoilt an otherwise excellent performance by giving the ball away to Baptiste, who set up Shelvey to cleverly make space for himself before firing in low to Grant’s right from the edge of the box - but whilst perhaps the Seasiders deserved the consolation goal for their second-half efforts, there was no doubt at all that Burnley had thoroughly deserved the win.