Clean sheet Clarets at it again

It really was an appalling way to treat those on organised travel, but the Leicestershire Constabulary would not relent as frustrations grew.

Most of us made it in just as the teams came out to the strains of 'Post Horn Gallop', and there was me thinking that fox hunting had been banned.

The teams were announced and what a response from the home fans when the PA announcer, giving the Burnley team, said, “No. 5 Frank Sinclair”. He got a standing ovation from the home supporters on his return to Leicester and this was one ground where the announcer actually knew his name.

Jean-Louis Valois, as expected, came in for his first start for the Clarets as a replacement for Lee Roche and we reverted to the 4-5-1 formation that has served us well up until the last couple of matches with Ian Moore back on the right hand side and Valois down the left.

We started brightly and Richard Chaplow had the first effort at goal but the ever larger Kevin Pressman saved easily as we looked to take the game to Leicester.

There was soon some defending to do but we were doing it so well that the home side were restricted to very few opportunities and even those invariably ended with poor efforts from distance.

They simply couldn’t get close to goal with the two central defenders, Sinclair and John McGreal, again in superb form and it was a rare event when Danny Coyne had to dive to his left to keep out an effort from the otherwise quiet Dion Dublin.

Leicester were unable to put us under anything like the sort of pressure Wigan had four days earlier and we had more than our fair share of the play with the new boy Valois showing up well with some good touches and a range of passes.

David Connolly had Leicester’s best opening of the first half but shot into the side netting. This was his only real contribution other than going through three shirts and two pairs of shorts after receiving a cut.

Half time came with the scores level and we fully deserved to be level at half time although many were suspecting that we would have to face plenty of Leicester pressure in the second half.

Danny Coyne - little to do behind the Clarets defence

It didn’t materialise and the Clarets enjoyed much of the play in the second half with the home side being unable to make any progress against the outstanding Clarets defence and they began to get more and more frustrated.

Graham Branch went down in his own box after getting an elbow, he needed treatment for that, and he was to get the same at the other end although it was missed by the officials.

Referee Williamson certainly didn’t miss the incident in the 73rd minute when inexplicably Leicester’s Jordan Stewart just decided to take a kick at Ian Moore. There was only one decision possible once the referee had seen it and he promptly showed Stewart the red card.

It had been seen by everyone in the stadium with the exception of Lenny Johnrose, working for Radio Lancashire. Lenny apparently thought the decision was harsh and thought it was for raised hands. Mind you he was highly critical of Burnley’s performance yet seemed more concerned with how Leeds were doing at Crewe.

Burnley don’t do well against ten men, we all know that, and so we feared the worst. We needn’t have worried because in that last twenty minutes the home side did not threaten us once.

Within two minutes of the red card we came close to taking the lead when Dublin, having been moved into the defence, made a hash of chesting the ball back to Pressman. The keeper just about managed to keep it out of the net under pressure from Valois but the reaction from the Burnley players suggested it might just have crossed the line.

Branchy nearly got on the end of a Robbie Blake cross whilst Chappy went on a long run but just couldn’t find the finish and that just about brought it all to an end.

Some were suggesting that we could have won it (and yes we could) and that it was two points dropped. I don’t share that view, it was another good performance and another excellent result that we should be more than happy with.

Leicester are a strong side, have good players, and yet we went there and more than matched them and with just a bit of luck going our way we could easily have come home with all three points but we really do have to be happy with the one.

Again we played well as a team with every player having good games, but again we have to look at the way the defence played for choosing the man of the match. For me it has to be John McGreal who didn’t make a mistake throughout the ninety minutes.

This week we have stopped Ellington and Roberts (they got four between them today) and Dublin and Connolly from scoring. That just about says it all.

We might not be scoring many goals but we are definitely becoming a very difficult side to beat – we are beginning to look a very good team and if we can find ourselves two or three new players over the coming weeks we could have a very strong looking side to take us well clear of the relegation battle this season.

The teams were,

Leicester: Kevin Pressman, Chris Makin, Nikos Dabizas, Martin Keown, Jordan Stewart, James Scowcroft, Lilian Nalis, Gareth Williams (Scott Gemmill 45), Jason Wilcox (Danny Tiatto 66), David Connolly (Nathan Blake 70), Dion Dublin. Subs not used: Richard Stearman, Tommy Wright.

Burnley: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Ian Moore, Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant, Graham Branch, Jean-Louis Valois, Robbie Blake. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Ryan Townsend, Joel Pilkington, Mark Yates, Matt O’Neill.

Referee: Iain Williamson (Berkshire).

Attendance: 22,495.