Eagles clips the Canaries wings

Last updated : 01 November 2008 By Tony Scholes
Robbie Blake
Robbie Blake - Man of the Match
We were thankful for those goals, they'd taken almost an hour to come despite the fact that we'd dominated the game almost from the start and had played such good football that this very ordinary Norwich side had looked just that, very ordinary.

Eagles latched onto balls from Chris McCann and Robbie Blake to finish expertly in front of the Jimmy Mac Stand and the 2-0 scoreline was no more than we deserved, but until those goals came there were fears that the game could be just like Tuesday's against Reading only in reverse. Thankfully that was not the case and the win has seen us move up another place in the table.

Owen Coyle made two changes from the side that started the Reading win. One of them was forced on him with the injury to Christian Kalvenes and fit again Clarke Carlisle returned with Stephen Jordan moving to left back. Up front there was a first league start for Robbie Blake since the Ipswich defeat in August, he came in for Martin Paterson who dropped to the bench.

Looking back on the game it is hard to believe that Norwich actually made the brighter start to the game and had the first opportunity. It fell to a dreadlockless and hardly recognisable Darel Russell who was strangely playing in a very advanced role.

He was a target for the Clarets in the summer but we missed our target then just as he did in that first attack, and it was all we were to see from them for quite some time. For the next fifteen to twenty minutes they didn't get a kick and had we taken our chances we could have all gone home with the points secure.

The star of the show was Robbie who seemed to be making up for lost time. He was in sensational form and it should have only been a matter of time before he set up a goal for us. That he didn't was down to the fact that we were missing the chances.

Chris McCann had an effort blocked and then Steven Thompson hit the post after he'd been played in brilliantly by Robbie. Clarke Carlisle should have done better when his effort was blocked and then Thompson opted not to shoot when presented with his second opportunity and played a poor pass to Wade Elliott who saw his effort deflected over.

The football was simply brilliant to watch and Norwich had no answer. They did have one attack that came to nothing but it was back up to the other end where Thompson was this time unfortunate with a header and then he turned a rebound wide after keeper David Marshall had made a right hash of an Eagles shot.

Incredibly as half time approached it was still 0-0 and it could have been even worse when Brian Jensen and Stephen Jordan got in a mix up. We got away with that one, and the only disappointment as the half time whistle blew was the fact that we weren't in front.

After a fairly nondescript start to the second half it all came to life with the two goals. Robbie found Chris McCann who run at the Norwich defence before playing in Eagles with a superb through ball.

Some players look comfortable in this sort of situation, some don't. Eagles is in the first category and he never looked as though he wouldn't score. He played it through Marshall's legs and finally we were in front.

Our one goal lead lasted only around five minutes, that's how long it took Eagles to double it. It came from a free kick that was played across to Robbie and he immediately saw Eagles and played the ball across to him. Again he took it in his stride.

We knew that was it, and so did the Sinister One Roeder as his face beamed down on us. He, like the rest of us, knew his side were beaten.

Burnley continued to press and Coyle made his changes, introducing Jay Rodriguez, Kevin McDonald and Paterson, but Norwich almost pulled one back when Leroy Lita got clear of our defence only to see his shot go harmlessly wide of the post.

At the other end Eagles came close to another, Paterson forced a top save from Marshall and then in stoppage time we surely should have had a penalty. Now we all know referee Graham Laws has had a habit of getting the big decisions wrong, and surely he's got another one wrong here. Somehow he awarded a free kick outside the box. Still, we know from bitter experience at Deepdale that this referee disregards the penalty area when he decides whether to award a penalty or not.

Surely Eagles would have taken it and gone on to get his hat trick, but it wasn't to be and when that final whistle blew we'd won it 2-0.

The talk outside the ground as we all made our way home was of a performance as good as anything we've seen all season. It really was a treat and if I should be ultra critical then we did fail to take the chances in the first half that would have put the game to bed a lot earlier.

But at the end of the day we'd picked up another win and we'd all been thoroughly entertained for ninety minutes and we can't ask for more than that.

As for the man of the match, it certainly wasn't Jensen this time because he'd had very little to do. Eagles won the sponsors vote but that was expected after his goals. For me there was no debate, no considerations, the best player on the pitch this afternoon for me was Robbie Blake.

It was good to have him back in the side and even if he didn't get the chance to drop his shorts this afternoon he turned in one of those performances that makes you wonder just how he could ever lose his place in the side. Long may it continue.

Last season we never made the most of our good away results - we seemed to win on the road and then come home and get poor results. That's not happened this season and again after four points at Coventry and Charlton we've come home and got maximum points from these two games.

It's three weeks before we play at home again, just a matter of three away games against league leaders Wolves, Premier League leaders Chelsea, and moneybags ticket rip off club QPR. Whatever happens, if we try and play the way we did today it is going to be enjoyable.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Joey Gudjonsson (Kevin McDonald 74), Chris McCann, Chris Eagles, Robbie Blake (Martin Paterson 78), Steven Thompson (Jay Rodriguez 66). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Michael Duff.

Norwich: David Marshall, Elliot Omozusi (Jon Otsemobor 62), Gary Doherty, John Kennedy, Adam Drury, Lee Croft (Matty Pattison 62), Sammy Clingan, Mark Fotheringham (Jamie Cureton 71), David Bell, Darel Russell, Leroy Lita. Subs not used: Stuart Nelson, Ryan Bertrand.

Referee: Graham Laws (Whitley Bay).

Attendance: 11,353.