Wow, where to start? The national press will no doubt concentrate on the ugly scenes both in the stands and on the pitch that marred a very entertaining Championship fixture.
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 | Robbie Blake - two goals after coming on as a substitute |
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Burnley fought hard, and rescued a point against a rule-bending Watford side through substitute Robbie Blake's double on a miserable March day.
Both sides lined up 4-4-2, with Andrew Cole coming back in for Burnley at the expense of Joey Gudjonsson, and the team selection worked, with the Clarets dominating a side with an excellent away record.
But the fact remains that Burnley have dropped yet more home points, despite creating more than enough chances to win the game.
Ade Akinbiyi was the main culprit, missing a gaping open goal after Chris McCann had chased down the constantly nervy Richard Lee in the Watford goal after just ten minutes.
Akinbiyi contrived to miss a number of other chances, but he did bundle home once from Kyle Lafferty's centre, only for the linesman to disallow it for offside.
Burnley started the brighter and could have been ahead on three minutes. McCann broke at speed and played Lafferty down the channel. The young Northern Irishman lumbered into the area ungainly and planted his shot solidly to the keeper's left, but just wide of the post.
Typically, Burnley failed to make their early pressure and chances count and Watford opened the scoring midway through the half. Clarke Carlisle had narrowly avoided scoring an own goal from a miscued clearance, but terrible marking allowed Darius Henderson the simplest of headed goals from Jobi McAnuff's corner.
It could have been two seconds later with Burnley a shambles at the back after Alexander unforgivably gave the ball away in a dangerous area. Jensen saved well from Ellington and then again from Henderson's follow-up.
That spell deflated Burnley and the half was played out with the ball mostly in the air and the Clarets struggled to get a foothold in the game. Coyle switched Elliott and Lafferty over and the move almost paid immediate dividends, Elliott first drove at the top corner and Lee saved, and then danced through the defence and lifted a cross over that was just an inch away from Cole's head.
The first part of the second half was a complete mess and tempers boiled over on and off the field, with Darius Henderson particularly lucky to stay on the field after an incident with Brian Jensen. Henderson had also flattened James O'Connor with an elbow earlier in the game and miraculously escaped without a booking.
In the stands there were nasty scenes with violence erupting between stewards and fans at the back of the Longside. In the melee, fans ran across the pitch in front of the away end completely unnoticed.
Coyle reacted by replacing Akinbiyi with Robbie Blake and Burnley finally woke up, playing a more direct style to combat Watford's hoofing, hacking and heckling. Indeed, Blake had only been on the field moments when he hauled Burnley level, Cole delicately back-heeling into his path, with the finish going through the advancing Lee.
The side sensed a winner but the visitors refused to roll over and from another set-piece Watford re-took the lead. Carlisle and Caldwell were being pulled and shoved and the ball ping-ponged in the area before Jordan Stewart, himself only on a matter of minutes, struck the ball sweetly into the top corner.
That was that, you thought, but there is a resilience and stubbornness about Owen Coyle's Burnley. Watford failed to clear a nothing ball across the six-yard box and the ball took forever and a day to reach Blake, who gleefully rolled it back across Lee and in off the post.
There was still time for more drama, with a glorious chance falling to Elliott. Unfortunately it was a header and Wade was just too short to get over the top of the ball and it ballooned over.
The dying embers of the game were almost re-lit when Elliott again sauntered into the area, but pushed the ball too far and went over the defender's outstretched leg a little too dramatically to win the spot kick.
Burnley will contemplate what ifs and maybes after the game, with the league table showing that a win would have lifted them up handily into sixth spot, but it's another point gained and with another big game coming up at Hull on Tuesday, we crucially still have our fate in our own hands.
And I managed all of that report without even mentioning the shocking referee. Oh, damn. |
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