Late goal proves costly again

With just ten minutes to go were two up and coasting but a Grant Leadbitter goal meant a nervy last period which ultimately led to Connolly's strike. Some of the disappointing home results this season haven't been deserved, events have conspired against us, but today we can hardly blame anyone else for allowing a two goal lead to slip out of our grasp.

It's the first time we've failed to win after leading by two goals since Ade Akinbiyi hit two against us for Stoke over two years ago, and today, like then, it really should not have happened after Kyle Lafferty had struck early in each half. That should have been enough against an RK Sunderland side who had plenty of possession throughout the game but for much of it never looked as though they would threaten.

Steve Cotterill took the option of moving Chris McCann to left back. The young Irishman played there recently at West Brom after Jon Harley went off injured and was in that position again today with the regular left back suspended. That meant two changes in the centre of midfield, to cover for both McCann and the suspended James O'Connor and that saw first team returns for Alan Mahon and Micah Hyde. For Mahon, it was his first start since the Barnsley game back in mid-September.

We made a good start and came close to going in front following a superb Wade Elliott cross, and shortly after the right winger was very much involved when the Clarets took the lead. He received the ball from Steve Jones in the centre of the pitch and beat his man as he took control of the ball and turned. He spotted Kyle on the left hand side and played the perfect ball for the striker who made no mistake with an excellent finish into the corner.

The visitors came back, and were getting the ball into our box, but they weren't creating anything and with the back four in top form they weren't causing us too many problems. Kyle, back helping at a set piece, did head one effort of the line but generally it was at the other end where you expected the next goal to come and twice, through Jones and Gifton Noel-Williams we came so close to doubling the lead.

Jonah worked himself some space on the edge of the box but his first time shot went over the bar and then Gifton had a shot blocked when Wayne Thomas expertly headed a ball back across. We were causing them problems and Kyle was inches wide with another effort just before the interval, but we were well worth our lead as we went in at half time.

Just minutes into the second half I thought we had got another, a ball in from Jones came out to Elliott who hit a shot on the volley from about fifteen yards out. From my vantage point in the Longside I waited for the ball to hit the net but it went just wide and the chance for an early second half goal looked to have gone.

Not so because in our very next attack we did score a second. Dwight Yorke, you had to endure the usual constant and inane booing because of a former club, tried to head the ball back but only succeeded in finding the lurking Lafferty. Full of confidence he hit his shot into the corner leaving Ward with no chance.

It was certainly Kyle's day, and just as he'd done in the first half he then got back and headed clear off the line in what was a rare opportunity against us. They'd run out of ideas and we were coasting to what looked like a much needed and very much deserved victory.

Elliott, who had caused them so many problems, gave way with twenty-five minutes remaining with John Spicer coming on for only his second appearance of the season. We reshuffled with Kyle going on the right and operating a 4-5-1 formation.

For the next quarter of an hour the game the Clarets just basically closed the game down, we were comfortably in front and RK Sunderland, despite making three substitutions of their own, were offering nothing. Then, out of the blue, they pulled one back, with a long range striker from Leadbitter right into the bottom corner.

It stunned everyone, a goal against had never been on the cards, but now we had ten minutes or so to make sure they didn't get another. Kyle moved back up front but he played no part two minutes after that goal when we should have wrapped up the game with a third.

Spicer played a superb ball through for him that left him clear for a run on goal. He just had to beat the keeper, but incredibly he failed to even get a shot in after dallying for too long and allowing a defender to get back and challenge him. It was a bad miss and one that we hoped wouldn't prove costly.

It looked as though it wouldn't as we reached the ninety minutes with us still in front, but then we held the game up for almost two minutes whilst we made a substitution, bringing off Gifton and replacing him with Graham Branch. I'm sure the manager will know why he did this, I was puzzled, and it certainly did us no favours with the referee going beyond the time added on because of the delay.

It was in that time that they hit another screamer, this time from Connolly, and it was the Mackems who were left celebrating a minute or so later when referee Mike Dean blew the final whistle.

Sometimes a draw is a point gained, sometimes it is two points dropped, and there is no doubt at all that this one is two points dropped. It's twice in a fortnight now that we've conceded a stoppage time goal and that has robbed us of four points. Add those to our current total and we'd be sitting very comfortably in fourth position.

We didn't deserve that result today, but we did hand the initiative over to them in that last period, and we paid heavily for that. We should have won this game, of that there is no doubt.

As for man of the match, he scored twice, he's headed two off the line, and in my view Kyle Lafferty worried them all afternoon. He had competition for today's award, particularly from the two central defenders, but he's the winner, and hopefully this will give him even more confidence to stake a claim for a regular place in the side.

Finally, a word of congratulations to the referee. I'm often quick to criticise them, and in recent weeks it has been with some justification. Today we had a referee who got on with doing his job and let the players get on with theirs, looked to play advantage whenever possible and didn't want to steal the show. Well done to him.

Derby next, let's get in front again and this time keep the lead and get ourselves back into those play off positions.

The teams were;

Burnley: Danny Coyne, Wayne Thomas, Michael Duff, John McGreal, Chris McCann, Wade Elliott (John Spicer 66), Alan Mahon, Micah Hyde, Steve Jones, Gifton Noel-Williams (Graham Branch 90), Kyle Lafferty. Subs not used: Frank Sinclair, Steve Foster, Brian Jensen.

RK Sunderland: Darren Ward, Dean Whitehead, Stephen Caldwell, Stanislav Varga, Danny Collins, Stephen Elliott, Dwight Yorke (Liam Miller 62), Grant Leadbitter, Ross Wallace (Graham Kavanagh 62), David Connolly, Darryl Murphy (Tobias Hysen 74). Subs not used: Marton Fulop, Lewin Nyatanga.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Attendance: 14,798.