Keep your eyes on Germany - Burnley have won at Barnsley

Last updated : 27 December 2010 By Tony Scholes
Jack Cork
Jack Cork - outstanding game
King George V, who had presented us with the FA Cup in 1914, was still on the throne and Ramsay McDonald was the British Prime Minister. In America Herbert Hoover was President and over in mainland Europe Paul von Hindenberg had been elected President of German. A month later Heinrich Brüning resigned as German Chancellor. More significantly the country had only a couple of months earlier granted citizenship to Austrian Adolf Hitler who would very soon hold both positions.

Haile Selassie announced an anti-slavery law in Abyssinia, the Sydney Harbour Bridge had just been opened whilst Jack Benny was still to stage his first ever radio show. We were still two months away from the very first full Technicolor animated film from Disney.

In football, Everton were the reigning Football League Champions with Wolves just a few games away from taking it from them. Burnley and Barnsley were both hovering just above the drop zone but Barnsley would be relegated.

And so to Boxing Day 2010.

We left the Burnley area just after 10:00 a.m. but were alerted by the club around 11:20 that there was a problem at Oakwell with the burst pipes and the game could yet be doubtful. A quick update on Clarets Mad was soon followed by the go ahead, further changes, and eventually, after an excellent stop en route, we were at Oakwell ready for the next potential disaster.

Neither Danny Fox nor Martin Paterson made it but Chris Eagles was back in the squad and named on the bench as manager Brian Laws made two changes from the starting line up that had lost against Leeds last time out.

Perhaps it wasn't a surprise to see Graham Alexander back. He came in at the expense of Dean Marney. But a much bigger surprise was the inclusion of youngster John Guidetti who replaced Chris Iwelumo. As we all know, Big Chris hasn't scored in an away game this season but since his late goal in the October win against Barnsley he's only been able to find the net once; that coming in the home win against Watford.

There was a healthy away following in the away end for what was our first away game in five weeks, but it didn't get off to the greatest of starts. The opening ten minutes or so were very scrappy with neither side able to get any sort of foothold on the game.

But it was eventually the Clarets who grabbed the initiative and almost the lead with both Guidetti and Wallace going close. Jack Cork, who had an excellent game in the midfield, got down the left wing before hitting a cross to the far post. There Guidetti rose to head down and right against the foot of the far post. The ball spun out to Wallace whose shot was blocked on the line.

It was an escape for Barnsley and the sort of thing that happens to us on virtually every visit to Oakwell, but it did trigger a spell when Burnley were very much on top and was probably the time when we should have gone on and grabbed the lead.

Wade Elliott and Tyrone Mears linked up well in one move down the right but it ended when the full back's low cross was cut out.

A goal was needed, but when it came it was at the other end and totally against the run of play. Danger man Adam Hammill was played in with a ball then went between Cork and Brian Easton. Lee Grant saved his first effort but could only parry it out and Barnsley's leading scorer made no mistake with his second attempt.

Apparently, according to those fans behind me the goal was totally down to Laws. Had he not dropped Brian Jensen we would still be level. A banner reading 'LWAS OUT' (I kid you not) was held high and the chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning' started.

Surely if these people want to protest then they shouldn't be doing it during the game. It certainly didn't help and we struggled for a while although by the end of the half we'd found our way back. Clarke Carlisle should have got a head to an Alexander free kick but the chance went begging and Wallace got in a shot from the edge of the box that was deflected wide.

However, the truth of the matter was that we were losing away from home and the half time boos as the players went off were not just aimed at the manager.

We've certainly played far better than that away from home this season, but in truth we didn't deserve to be behind. Somehow though I felt as though the chance of getting something had probably gone. How wrong I was.

There were no changes for either side as the second half got underway but there was soon a very dramatic change to the scoreline. It should have come in the very first minute but Jay Rod failed to take a chance. We didn't have to wait long.

Just four minutes in and we got the ball out to Wade who played in the most delightful of balls. Again Guidetti got up well and headed across the goalkeeper, just as he'd done when hitting the post in the first half. This time there was no post to intervene and he was quickly turning to celebrate his first goal in English first team football.

What a start to the half and five minutes later it was better. Do I need to say more than we got a double or triple somersault from Andre Bikey? He'd had a disappointing afternoon against Leeds but this time out he did everything asked of him at the back and when he came up for a corner proved to be the winning goalscorer.

Wallace took the right wing flag kick and Bikey powered his header into the roof of the net. Burnley were in front. The game had been turned on its head.

Incredibly, between those two goals, Barnsley had put a header against the outside of the post, but they didn't really trouble us again as the Clarets took control. Twice Jay Rod came close, both times after Elliott and Guidetti linked up on the right.

With the first, he shot wide after Guidetti played the ball to him but was so unlucky when he headed an Elliott cross against the post. Jay was playing well against the club he featured for last season and with any luck at all would have had a goal.

Barnsley were now very much second best. We were in control and Elliott was by now playing as well as he's played in some time. He was involved in just about everything. Wallace was now causing them problems on the left and the front two were offering so much with their movement.

Mark Robins made three changes to try and get Barnsley back into the game but they made no difference. Our only change came with 18 minutes to go. It allowed young Guidetti to get a warm ovation from the away fans and also for Eagles to make a short return and he turned in an excellent little cameo on a ground where he always seems to play well.

Barnsley's Doyle was fortunate to only get a yellow card for a shocker of a challenge on Wallace in a game that otherwise proved to be a well fought game.

As the clock ticked down so the nerves increased but in reality we did everything we had to do and in truth Barnsley didn't seriously threaten to get back into the game. Four minutes of stoppage time became longer because of a stoppage but by then they were beaten and we were very much winning for the first time away.

Almost 79 years, suggesting it is very unlikely that anyone who saw that 1932 win would have been at Oakwell yesterday.

I've lived through some horror performances from referees, some bad luck and even seeing Christmas cancelled after the players had had too much plum duff.

It's all forgotten now - I've seen Burnley win at Barnsley.

The teams were;

Barnsley: Luke Steele, Kieran Trippier, Stephen Foster, Jason Shackell, Bobby Hassell, Jim O'Brien, Hugo Colace (Jacob Butterfield 63), Nathan Doyle, Adam Hammill, Goran Lovre (Paul Hayes 58), Andy Gray (Steven Bennett 71). Subs not used: David Preece, Jeronimo Neumann, Diego Arismendi, Matt Hill.
Yellow Card: Nathan Doyle.

Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Brian Easton, Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Jack Cork, Ross Wallace, John Guidetti (Chris Eagles 72), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Michael Duff, Dean Marney, Steven Thompson, Chris Iwelumo.

Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear).

Attendance: 14,219 (including 2,738 Clarets).