It's gone from bad to worse

Last updated : 25 February 2006 By Tony Scholes
Michael Duff - man of the match performance
The winning goal came on 54 minutes and it came as no real surprise after they had taken control at the start of the second half. It could have been worse too, over the next period we were very fortunate not to concede more as they took total control, somehow we survived.

It was a miserable performance from start to finish from a Burnley side that looked devoid of confidence, devoid of ideas and devoid of the quality required to beat a very ordinary looking Coventry side.

Fair enough, the referee a Mr Dennis Wise was on their side, but it doesn’t excuse this inept performance that would leave you very worried for the rest of the season if there weren’t teams such as Brighton, Millwall and Crewe around the bottom of the league.

We did get the first telling shot of the game when Chris McCann forced a good save out of Coventry’s Hungarian goalkeeper Marton Fulop but it was certainly not a sign of things to come and only late in the half was he bothered again when he saved a long distance effort from Wade Elliott.

Attacking the end in front of the Burnley fans, Coventry were hardly any better although Jon Harley did get a block in to prevent one effort and a couple of last ditch tackles from the impressive Michael Duff, one of them a superb effort, prevented them getting through on a couple of occasions.

There were a few niggles that referee Eddie Ilderton failed to notice, but there again Dennis Wise was on the field. We all know now that if you raise your arms at an opponent then you go off, Wise did it not once but twice and wasn’t even spoken to by the official.

Overall it was a weary first half and as the half time whistle blew most of us rushed down into the concourse area to get out of the cold, and this was the coldest I have been inside a football ground for a long time.

There was an air of despondency amongst the fans, some predicting a defeat whilst others thought we might get a 0-0 draw out of it. But none of them thought us likely to get a goal, and they were right.

Coventry upped the tempo at the beginning of the second half and we didn’t have an answer. We gave the ball away too easily and too often and the goal just really had to come. It duly did after John Spicer gave it away and the ball in from the left made its way to Adebola who made no mistake.

Over the next quarter of an hour the home side missed chances, saw one come back off the woodwork, had one cleared off the line whilst Brian Jensen made at least two good saves. It was one way traffic and it was going the wrong way.

We made a double substitution, bringing on Gifton Noel-Williams and Kyle Lafferty and we did manage to stop the constant pressure but we hardly threatened to get ourselves back into the game and apart from one weak effort we didn’t force the goalkeeper into a solitary save.

The nearest we came was in stoppage time when a shot from Frank Sinclair, from well outside the box, went inches over the bar. Had it been just that bit lower the keeper wouldn’t have got near it and we would have come away with an unlikely and undeserved point. As it was we came away with nothing, as we have done so often away from home this season.

I have to single out Michael Duff, he was my man of the match today and he played well in the centre of defence. Frank Sinclair and Micah Hyde also did well and there were no problems as far as Brian Jensen was concerned. Not one of the other players involved did themselves justice.

We had players out suspended, we had players out injured, but that can be no excuse for this performance, and I am beginning to seriously wonder about this football club of ours. Club and fans seem to be far apart right now, the fans are far from happy and make no mistake are very much disillusioned, and the comments coming out from the club suggest they don’t even realise that.

This week Chief Executive Dave Edmundson spoke about his findings when he goes around the executive boxes every home game. I think it is about time he wandered into the away end when we are on our travels, he might find out then just what his customers really are feeling. Real fans, not the hand picked ones.

I think we are at the crossroads, and quite frankly I am worried. I care very much about Burnley Football Club and I think if we are not careful this downward spiral could continue. We know where that will lead us eventually. It needs turning round, the whole place needs a lift and that does not mean a season ticket campaign based on us always being Clarets.

I said last week there was no chance of us being relegated, and that is the case. I think the points requirement this season is going to be so low that probably one more win would ensure safety. But for a team that had 38 points at Christmas, survival is really not good enough.

It was good business to sell Ade Akinbiyi we were told, but anyone with an interest in the game knows what happens to a team when it loses its top goalscorer. Who knows, this could be about as bad a decision as loaning out Glen Little to Reading three years ago.

Anyway, it is Reading with Glen next week, just what we needed, an easy game to get the confidence back.

Today’s teams were,

Coventry: Marton Fulop, Andrew Whing, Robert Page, Richard Shaw, Marcus Hall, Andy Morrell (Andy Impey 89), Dennis Wise, Micky Doyle, James Scowcroft, Dele Adebola, Stern John (Don Hutchison 89). Subs not used: Clayton Ince, Claus Jorgensen, Kevin Thornton.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Wade Elliott (Kyle Lafferty 69), Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, Jon Harley, John Spicer, James O’Connor (Gifton Noel-Williams 69), Micah Hyde, Chris McCann, Graham Branch (Danny Karbassiyoon 39), Michael Ricketts. Subs not used: Mark Crossley, Duane Courtney.

Joint referees: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne & Wear) & Dennis Wise (Coventry City).

Attendance: 19,641.