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Following on from last Saturday’s disgraceful draw with Bradford, this was a game in which the Clarets had to play well and come away with all three points – if only to rebuild a few bridges which had been destroyed seven days earlier.
Stan Ternent made a number of changes to the side that so recklessly threw away two points at the Bradford and Bingley Stadium. At the back Mark McGregor was left out and King Arthur was shunted to left back to accommodate the return of the Skip. In midfield Paul Cook was eschewed in favour of the more combative Lee Briscoe, whilst Robbie Blake was preferred to Papa up front.
Burnley began the game brightly and took only four minutes to create the first real chance of the game. Breaking down the right hand side the increasingly impressive Robbie Blake crossed from the by-line. His centre sailed over Gareth Taylor’s head, but fell kindly for Glen Little who really should have made more of the opportunity, as his powder puff header was easily cleared off the line.
Franchise responded immediately. On six minutes Tapp was put in following good work by the visitors’ best player, Joby McAnuff, but Beresford saved well. The remainder of the first half saw the Clarets dominate possession. On the quarter hour mark Alan Moore fed Gareth Taylor and from twenty yards out the Welsh international sent a powerful shot over Kelvin Davis crossbar.
As the half wore on, Glen Little, Lee Briscoe and Robbie Blake all missed presentable chances. Even the out-of-contract Dean West, who for some inexplicable reason has suddenly become our dead ball specialist, blasted a free-kick narrowly over their crossbar. Blake, incidentally, looked in fine form. Along with Glen Little and Alan Moore, he was at he heart of most of the Clarets’ best moments. His eye for a pass had opened up the Franchise defence on a number of occasions, and his tricky feet made him a real handful whenever he received the ball in the opposition penalty area.
The half closed with the now statutory booking for Gareth Taylor. Apparently, it’s alright to kick, shirt-tug and shove our big number nine for ninety minutes, but if he so much as looks at someone sideways, then the yellow card MUST be produced. With Milton Keynes offering little in the way of attacking, the only real worry at half time was whether or not we would be made to regret missing the number of chances we had created.
Those fears were allayed five minutes into the second half, when following good work down the left hand side, Briscoe’s low cross was turned in left footed for his opening goal of the campaign by Glen Little. That moment produced just about the only cheer of the game. Five minutes later, Glen was at it again. From wide on the right, his deftly weighted chip almost defeated Kelvin Davis, the keeper managing to claw it away at the last second.
Not that Burnley had it all their own way. On 61 minutes, McAnuff unleashed a twenty yarder which Beresford did well to tip over, and a couple of minutes later Steve Davis was in the right place at the right time to block a Neil Shipperley effort. Following that melee, Dean West’s hamstrings tightened and he was replaced by Mark McGregor in the right back berth.
Five minutes later Burnley made another substitution, as Ian Moore replaced namesake Alan. I’ve given the Irishman some stick in recent weeks, largely because he thoroughly deserved it after some wretched performances, but against Milton Keynes he gave us a timely reminder of what an effective player he can be.
Ian Moore contributed nothing but boundless enthusiasm and energy. These are admirable qualities in a footballer. It just seems sometimes that with Ian Moore that’s all you get, as there is rarely any end product. That having been said he would have won us a penalty in the last minute of the game, had not referee Scott Mathieson decided that defenders are well within their rights to tug at the shirts of opposing centre forwards who beat them for pace.
On 73 minutes came Burnley’s final substitution as Robbie Blake made way for Dimi. To be fair, Blake’s contribution in the second period had not been as effective as that of the first, but it was still a good afternoon for the player who is slowly but surely winning over the remaining doubters at Turf Moor.
Having taken twelve points from the last six league games, a corner has definitely been turned. Whether or not it is THE corner remains to be seen.