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There was something of a boost before kick off, there is no doubt that southern based teams have never appeared to be up for it on a cold night at the Turf with a bit of drizzle and that is exactly what we got.
No changes in the Burnley side in terms of personnel but a bit of a shuffle with Ian Moore taking the striking role and Graham Branch moving onto the left hand side whilst Luke Chadwick was fit enough for a place on the bench predictably at the expense of Matt O’Neill.
And we’d not long been underway when we went in front. Stan has repeatedly said over the last three weeks that the luck has gone against us and finally that changed. After winning a corner the flag kick was taken by Robbie Blake but the ball was knocked back out and Blake picked it up again and crossed from the left hand touchline. Moore went up for the header, made no contact and the cross sailed in beyond the bewildered Marcus Hahnemann.
The American goalkeeper had been involved in incidents with the Burnley fans last season at the Jimmy Mac end. He’s not the best of goalkeepers and is prone to making the odd howler now and again. Judging from the reaction of his defenders they were less than happy with him.
But what did we care, we were in front again at home but could we this time at least hold on to it.
Reading reacted to the goal and reacted to it well and at the other end our keeper Brian Jensen made a superb save to keep out a shot from John Salako. The former Palace wide man had fallen foul of the crowd by this time after going down as if he had been shot on the half way line in front of the Longside. Nobody seemed to see anything but the player bleated on about it for the rest of his time on the pitch.
If that was a good save by our Danish keeper he was back to his frightening tricks when he was next called on and all but gifted Reading an equaliser when he allowed Nicky Forster to take the ball off him on the edge of the box. I’m not sure what Forster was doing but having been gifted an open goal he waited until Jensen got back to grab the ball from him.
Jensen again came to the rescue as Reading searched for what would have been a deserved equaliser and with our offside trap not always working just as it should we were at times hanging on.
Branchy had to leave us with what looked like a calf injury and Luke Chadwick, toes and all, came on as his replacement against the side he played for last season.
Then right on half time Arthur came close to doubling the lead with a header but that would really have been rough justice on Reading who must have been unable to believe they were going in at half time trailing. They were though and not many were complaining in the stands apart from the paltry few who had made the trip from Berkshire.
The first half performance had been brighter than anything in the last three games but we had still been the second best side on the pitch and really could count ourselves very fortunate to be in front. We needed to try and get at them in the second half.
And that is exactly what we did and by the time the second half was nine minutes old the game was all over, there had been two more goals scored and could quite easily have been another three.
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There wasn’t time to discuss it at length as Ian Moore made a run through the middle. It was halted by the Reading keeper and a defender but it broke loose to Richard Chaplow some 25 yards from goal and the youngster produced a stunning chip into the top corner for 2-0.
Now I think someone needs to tell Richard that he doesn’t actually have to travel 500 miles when he scores but he simply took off and finally appeared in front of the Harry Potts Longside waving to his family and friends.
Steve Sidwell decided to make a habit of scoring goals against us last season and he nearly took up where he left off a couple of minutes later when he hit a shot from distance that hammered against Jensen’s right hand post. The reaction from the other end suggested that the keeper could have even got a hand on it.
Both Little and Sidwell had now gone close this half apart from Chappy’s goal and now it was the turn of Ian Moore who made a superb run into the box on the right hand side. His last touch was not just as good as it could have been and he then went flying as he slipped when it really looked as though he was going to put us 3-0 up.
He needn’t have worried though because 3-0 it was with the next attack as we won a free kick. Blake hit the kick goalwards and Chadwick deflected it in for his first goal since the draw at Watford.
It was all happening now and Reading manager Steve Coppell, he could not have believed his side were three goals behind, decided to change things and introduce three subs. But it had little effect with the Clarets very much in command now.
Chappy all but played Blake in for a chance and then David May broke clear through the middle but he shot too early and wide of the left hand post.
We were playing well now and none more so than the young Chaplow who was having a stormer in midfield. He was winning balls in the midfield and also getting himself involved in both penalty boxes. He was booked for his troubles after one strong tackle in midfield but it didn’t stop him going in moments later on Hahnemann.
He won the sponsors man of the match and with the applause from that dying down Stan decided to bring him off and give Paul Weller a run. As he left the field Turf Moor rose as one to salute the latest Natural Born Claret.
As the game petered out Chadwick went off and after two minutes of injury time a relieved Turf Moor welcomed three points for the first time since September.
Back to Chappy though and his man of the match award. I thought his second half performance was his best yet but there were certainly other candidates tonight for the award and none more so than Arthur Gnohere whose crown is very much back in place. His performance at the back tonight was the sort of performance we had come to expect of him a couple of years ago. What a pity he will be out on Saturday serving his one match suspension.
You can add Robbie Blake to the list of candidates and also Brian Jensen despite a couple of mishandlings and one dreadful howler, he made good saves.
It was a fortunate result in that we went 3-0 whilst being the second best team on the pitch although to be honest Reading never looked a side capable of causing too much damage.
But a win was needed and a win we got and now Stan will be ‘gannin yearm’ with the Clarets this weekend with a lot more confidence.
The teams were,
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Dean West, David May, Arthur Gnohere, Mo Camara, Glen Little, Richard Chaplow (Paul Weller 84), Tony Grant, Graham Branch (Luke Chadwick 36, Delroy Facey 87), Robbie Blake, Ian Moore. Subs not used: Lee Roche, Mark McGregor.
Reading: Marcus Hahnemann, Graeme Murty, Ricky Newman, Ivar Ingimarsson, Nicky Shorey, Scott Murray (Bas Savage 59), Steve Sidwell, James Harper (Kevin Watson 58), John Salako (Nathan Tyson 59), Andy Hughes, Nicky Forster. Subs not used: Jon Mackie, Jamie Young.
Referee: Mike Pike (Barrow-in-Furness).