Let's be Frank

Rotherham were not here to lie down and face up to League One football and Clarets, with a new look frontline, had to match Rotherham's work rate before the craft and skills from Oster were allowed to be the difference between the two sides.

Oster has improved with each game and in the first half his willingness to seek out the ball, take on the opposition and then lay off quality passes enabled Clarets the three hard earned points, a passage to forty nine points and now within touching distance of the fifty point "safety" barrier.

Clarets can now feel at ease that the job of staying up is almost done, so it’s let see where it takes us time now in the remaining ten fixtures, with two new strikers at Steve Cotterill's disposal for at least the next month.

Steve Cotterill rang the changes up front for this one. Beginning the game were debutant Bowditch teamed up with Valois in a new look frontline which, in fairness, looked lively early on and for a change the midfield players had forward passing options to choose from.

With Grant back from injury and a subs bench comprising five who had all played regular first team football, the manager for once had a full squad at his disposal, with Branch and Moore assisting Coyne, Roche and Duff in the tracksuits.

Spurred on by their one hundred and thirty, Rotherham began brightly and gained an early corner as McGreal blocked Warne's early shot. Static defending and statuesque goalkeeping enabled Gilchrist to rise unchallenged and score his first goal of the season with a powerful downward header into the left corner and Rotherham were in the lead for the first time of five games.

Hyde, in another impressive performance, almost gained an immediate reply but his half volley from the point of the six yard area beat both Pollitt and the angle and following good skills by the lively Bowditch, Clarets earned a free kick before carving Rotherham open for the equaliser.

Bowditch and Camara linked well down Clarets left and a trademark low cross from Camara reached Oster at the far post. Showing great composure and footwork, Oster deceived Pollitt and pulled the ball back to an unmarked Grant who made no mistake from eight yards scoring Clarets first home League goal this year.

The equaliser gave Clarets new confidence, the ball was moved around in slick fashion and a five man move ended with another Clarets corner. Oster's cross found Sinclair on the edge of the six yard area and his powerful header found the net via the underside of the bar, two goals in three minutes and Clarets were on a roll or so it seemed for a short while, with Sinclair's first goal in five years to prove the winning goal.

Another slick passing move ended with Oster fizzing a low ball across the area, just in front of Bowditch and for large spells of the half, the game was played exclusively in Rotherham territory, the confidence gap between the sides quite evident.

Sadly, it did not bring rewards and slowly Rotherham edged their way back into the game, aided by uncharacteristic and charitable defending from McGreal and Camara, the latter conceding a ridiculous free kick on the "D" from which Hurst hit the face of Jensen's left hand post so hard the rebound eluded the inrushing Warne.

The half petered out from that point, Clarets struggled to find a way through as Rotherham packed out the defensive areas and Rotherham were less than interested in attacking though Warne's angled shot was the last action of the half when he brought the Beast into action for his one save of the half when going down at his right had post to smother the effort.

HT 2-1.

Sour grapes - the falling crowds

The second half had an entertainment bypass and was a largely forgettable affair. Bowditch was again lively in the early stages and Cahill's header in the fiftieth minute from Oster's misdirected shot, was as close as it got for Clarets who rarely threatened Pollitt in the visiting goal.

A reorganised Rotherham compacted the midfield stifling any space for Clarets middle four, the visitors working hard to try and get something from the game by persistence and effort, though Vernazza did well on the run when shooting straight at Jensen from twenty yards.

Mullin came on in search of his annual Turf Moor goal at the expense of Hoskins before Branch replaced an ineffective Whittingham with a quarter hour remaining. Moore replaced Valois before Duff come on as a late replacement for Bowditch.

With time petering away Moore flashed a header wide of Pollitt and his left post with three minutes remaining.

Into the three default minutes of sponsored injury time and there was one final chance for the visitors and the clearest chance of the half too, but the Beast whilst at full stretch, was equal to Gilchrist's last minute effort and that was that, Clarets move on to forty nine points and the comfort of mid table, whilst for Rotherham a trip to Torquay beckons.

FT 2-1.

Att: 10,589

Sour grapes
I know it's only Rotherham, but the crowds continue to fall as Clarets maintain their Championship status and this was the lowest attendance of the season. Considering the pre-season doom, the size of the squad and the current plight of some of the "big" clubs in this Division, Clarets fans should be celebrating more the standing of the Clarets than turning their attentions to shopping, spring gardening or whatever else keeps them from the Turf currently.

A fine Claret
John Oster. A fine first half of creativity and quality set up both Clarets goals and he was the one who stood out on a day of much mediocrity.