‘Hammer to Fall' Burnley 1 Coventry City 0

Last updated : 22 April 2002 By Andy Robinson

So close - Paul Gascoigne
A season of great promise turned into one of what might have been if. ‘If' is the biggest word in football and you can take your pick from hundreds of them throughout the season for an ‘if' that would have made the difference between the 1 goal that kept us out of the play off places.

Personally I've always likened a football season to a horse race. 90% of it is pretty pointless jostling for position, what really matters is what happens in the race for home. The Clarets did OK but our opponents lengthened their stride and pipped us at the post by the narrowest of margins.

With 7 games to play the Clarets were 9 points ahead of Norwich and 9 better off in terms of goal difference yet Norwich ended up winning 5 and drawing 2. Birmingham finished the season unbeaten in 10 whilst Millwall won 4 out of the last 5. It was tough on us of that there is no doubt, though of course we shouldn't have needed favours from others, but when the season reached its absolute climax the Clarets missed out by the length of Magnus Hedman's fingertips.

Almost before the Clarets match kicked off we heard the news that Stockport keeper Andy Dibble had got his own fingertips on the ball down at Norwich. Unfortunately he was outside the box and he was dismissed after only 42 seconds.

As the first half progressed though the only news coming through was that Millwall, who only needed a point, had cruised into a comfortable lead and it was looking very much like a race between us Norwich and Birmingham.

On the pitch there was precious little to report. Johnson and Moore were looking lively up front but they were being caught offside too often and the best chance fell to Paul Weller as half time approached. Getting the break of a bouncing ball on the edge of the box it looked set up for him to lob the out of position Hedman but he ended up firing it more or less straight at him. Then came the news that Norwich had taken the lead and we knew that we needed a goal from somewhere.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the first with Burnley generally playing pretty well but failing to create much. Coventry had created even less but there was always a worry that they would sneak one as the nerves and the tension started to build, not helped by the fact that Birmingham had gone 2 up.

There had been times, particularly in the first half, when crosses that were ‘made for Gareth Taylor' were played into the Coventry box and with 25 minutes remaining he got his chance replacing Mitchell Thomas.

With his first touch he got his head to a long ball downfield then moments later Dean West played in on of those ‘made for Gareth Taylor' crosses and there he was at the far post to crash home a header and to crash Burnley back into the play offs.

8 minutes it lasted until another groan went around that signalled Norwich's second. Payton and Gascoigne were thrown on and the Clarets began to attack in waves. Corners and crosses fizzed across the box, Payton had a couple of chances, Johnson fired wide, Little had a shot deflected that on another day would have found the corner of the net but it was looking increasingly hopeless.

With gaps being left at the back Coventry might have brought a premature end to our season but Lee Hughes blasted over when he looked a certain scorer and then it was all about the fingertips of Magnus Hedman.

This was in the script surely. 4 minutes of injury time had just been signalled when Johnson was brought down on the edge of the box and up stepped Gazza to take the free kick. Bending it around the wall the ball bounced and kicked upwards off the pitch but the diving Hedman stuck up a hand and palmed it around the post. It was a brilliant save and you just thought it wasn't to be until Little was brought down 20 yards out and Gazza had another chance.

Once again he beat the wall and it looked for all the world like it was curling inside the post for a goal that would have raised the roof when Hedman again appeared from nowhere to claw it away miraculously.

‘Just got time to say your prayers, then it's time for the hammer to fall' sang Freddie as referee Dunn brought it crashing down on our season.

It was a season that went to the last kick of the last game and saw the Clarets at the right end of the Division 1 for its entire length. Of course it was disappointing to miss out on the play offs and disappointing is a mild word for it but compared to where we have been in the last 20 years it has been brilliant.

When the selfish ones were eventually cleared from the pitch Stan brought the team out for a lap of honour of sorts and he looked genuinely emotional as virtually all of the Clarets in attendance had remained to give him and the lads a deserved round of applause.

We were down and they were down but still we stood there and applauded them as they applauded us. There is a 5 word phrase that describes how I felt and helped to ease the disappointment and I hope it helps you.

PROUD TO BE A CLARET