Clarets grab another threesome

Last updated : 01 October 2008 By Tony Scholes
Graham Alexander
Graham Alexander - Man of the Match
Scoring goals at home was never the easiest of tasks for us last season, and we had to wait until the last home game of the season to net three in one league game, that the 3-3 draw against Cardiff.

Other than coming from behind in both of these recent games against Preston and Watford there is little comparison. Saturday saw us play extremely well against a side who had been on a good run, it was played in a superb football atmosphere and the whole experience was enthusing.

On to Tuesday, the whole place was flat right from kick off, we didn't defend anything like as well as we have been doing, twice we were behind, and I think the text I received as I left the ground saying 'ugly win' probably said it all.

But you need ugly wins, you need to scrap out results when everything isn't going as well as it should do, and you only needed to look at the visiting dug out last night to spot the obnoxious Aidy Boothroyd and recall his words - winning is all that matters. And we won, and they lost.

Even before kick off I said it was going to be a difficult night. We'd played in front of that passionate crowd against Preston and the fans were lifting the players from start to finish. This time round the players were going to have to do the lifting because the whole place really was flat. It was devoid of atmosphere, not always the case with a low crowd, and it almost seemed people weren't up for it.

Nevertheless, Owen Coyle as expected named the same starting eleven and the same five substitutes, and given Watford's current run of form you had to feel confident. However, the opening few minutes weren't encouraging and the sixth minute was something of a disaster.

Clarke Carlisle had been in inspirational form in the Preston win but he soon showed he wasn't going to repeat that. In that sixth minute he combined with Brian Jensen to gift Watford an opening goal.

It was horrible defending that allowed Will Hoskins to break clear but the former Rotherham player did his level best not to make the most of it by hitting a tame shot straight at Jensen. Unfortunately the keeper allowed the ball to go straight through his legs and we were behind.

There was no instant response from the Clarets either, and we could so easily have gone two behind. Carlisle let Hoskins through again but this came to nothing, although he did head over a goal bound effort after Jensen came out to try and block.

It wasn't going well, but eventually we did start to get ourselves into the game. It was nothing like Saturday but for a five minute spell we were having all the play and starting to pass the ball around.

Our unlikely hero was a player who could so easily have been wearing a claret and blue shirt rather than the yellow of Watford, Leigh Bromby. You'll have to ask him why he opted to handle a Wade Elliott cross that was intended for Steven Thompson, but handle he did and referee Bratt, who attempted to spend ninety minutes without making a decision, pointed to the spot.

Up stepped Graham Alexander, and he did what he does best from the penalty spot, he hammered it home and we were back in the game. Now we had to put them under some pressure.

It didn't really happen, but we came very close to seeing another Joey Gudjonsson wonder goal. From some distance on the left hand side he hit a rocket of a shot. This one was a lot lower but still dipped viciously. Goalkeeper Lee got down to save and it was no surprise he couldn't hold it initially.

Still, I was pleased to be going into half time level given the first half showing but then, in the last minute of time added on we conceded another sloppy goal. We didn't deal with a corner well enough and when the ball came in the static defence allowed Hoskins to score his second. Hoskins had only previously scored one goal for Watford.

Goals just before or just half time can be killers and we'd been hit with one. But …………………..

There were no changes for the start of the second half, and that was a surprise to many who believed a fresh face might just give us the impetus to get back into the game.

Now did I say goals just before or just after half time can be killers? Any advantage Watford gained from there's was gone within less than a minute of the restart. We won a throw in on the right, Wade Elliott picked it up and crossed to Martin Paterson.

Paterson had a lot to do with his back to goal but he turned and hit the sweetest of right foot shots into the far corner to bring about the second equaliser. Now surely we would take this on and go and win it.

Not on your life, and Watford came within inches of going back in front almost immediately. John-Jo O'Toole got onto a ball in the box but could only divert it just over the bar.

We did make a change just before the hour, Chris Eagles coming on for Thompson who had been disappointing for the first time since joining the Clarets. Eagles took his place on the left and played a crucial part when we took the lead with just over twenty minutes to go.

We'd almost gone in front from the previous attack, but Carlisle's header went just over and maybe even got a touch onto the bar. Now, Eagles kept the ball in on the left hand side and played it for McCann.

The Irish midfielder got down the left to the by-line and crossed to the far post. Now I'm not sure who you want coming in on the end of a cross like that with a chance to head but I'm not sure it would be Wade Elliott.

Wade had crossed the ball for the penalty, he'd crossed for Paterson's goal, and now here he was powering headers in at the far post to win the game for us. And win it he did because there was no way back for Watford now.

Suddenly they weren't wasting time, suddenly they were actually trying to get on with the game rather than employing all their usual tactics. But they weren't getting back into this one and they didn't cause us any problems at all as we moved up to fourth in the table.

It wasn't anything like as good a performance as Preston, and there weren't as many candidates for man of the match. Chris McCann got it on the ground, and I've no arguments with that, but my choice was Alexander who had another outstanding game in the midfield.

Winning is what matters Boothroyd, and no matter what happened on the night we won the game. It's time for some tough games now either side of the international break, but for now I quite like seeing us in fourth place.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott (Robbie Blake 90), Joey Gudjonsson, Chris McCann, Steven Thompson (Chris Eagles 57), Martin Paterson (Jay Rodriguez 86). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Alan Mahon.

Watford: Richard Lee, Adrian Mariappa, Leigh Bromby, Darren Ward, Matt Lawrence, John-Jo O'Toole, Lee Williamson (Ainsworth 90), John Eustace (Tamas Priskin 79), Tommy Smith, Will Hoskins, Jon Harley. Subs not used: Mark Tyler, Ali Bangura, Jay DeMerit.

Referee: Steve Bratt (West Midlands).

Attendance: 10,033.