|
Brian Laws made just one change to the Burnley side that had lost at Arsenal. With Steven Fletcher still unable to resume, he gave Steven Thompson his first ever Premier League start in a 4-4-2 formation that saw Martin Paterson take up the position on the right hand side.
It was a scrappy sort of start to the game on a pitch that now looks ready for its summer break. Stoke aimed a couple of throws into our box and at the other end we probably should have taken the lead.
Thompson, who had done so well at the Emirates as a substitute on Saturday and deserved this chance, headed the ball on to Chris Eagles who in turn found Jack Cork with a good pass. Cork opted not to shoot but play the ball to Paterson; the pass wasn't good enough and the chance was gone.
Thomas Sorensen saved from Danny Fox, although the shot did look to be going wide of target, and there was a feeling that we were beginning to get to grips with the game. Then disaster struck, and in the way we'd all feared.
Apparently Stoke had previously scored just one goal away from home this season from a throw in, but you know Burnley, always keen to improve these sort of statistics for other clubs. Delap's throw from the left was headed on by Mamady Sidibe and that left Tuncay Sanli with a close range header to put Stoke 1-0 up.
The goal flattened the place, and for the first time really this season there was derision from the stands, particularly with a couple of passes from Graham Alexander that didn't find their intended targets.
Paterson should have equalised when played in by Eagles but tamely shot wide. That though, was all we got from the Clarets for the remainder of what had become a very disappointing half.
A half time substitution helped change things. Jack Cork had, understandably, struggled to have an influence on the first half and was replaced by Kevin McDonald. The Scot has been woefully out of form recently but he was to help bring about the change with some of the best football I've seen from him since he signed for the Clarets in the summer of 2008.
Right from the start of the half we looked a different proposition and it took us just seven minutes to draw level. Having worked the ball out of defence on the left hand side the ball was played up to Thompson who hit an excellent pass across the pitch to the right hand side.
There it was picked up by Paterson who turned a defender on the right hand corner of the penalty box before crossing. The cross was met by Nugent who gave Sorensen no chance with a superb header across him.
It was just what we wanted and within a minute it was so close to 2-1. Again Paterson got down the right and again he crossed. This time Sorensen could do no more than parry the ball and fortunately for Stoke it wouldn't run for either Nugent or Eagles and Stoke got away with it.
We didn't get a period of non stop pressure nor were we encamped in their half, but we were very much the team in the ascendancy and Stoke were hardly threatening at all apart from the occasional throw in.
If any side looked like winning it then it was Burnley. Sorensen saved from Eagles, then Eagles hit a shot over the bar from the edge of the box. Clarke Carlisle got his head to a ball but tried to direct it back across goal.
The second goal wouldn't come and we nearly paid when Matthew Etherington got in a shooting chance towards the end. He gambled on a shot from distance but it flew harmlessly away from goal.
That left us with one last opportunity and the hugely impressive McDonald got in a shot on the turn from the corner of the box only to see it fly just wide of Sorensen's right hand post.
So a draw it was, a point when obviously we really could have done with all three points. But a point is a point and it has at least lifted us one place up the table with some very crucial games to come starting with Wolves on Saturday.
Tyrone Mears would have been my man of the match had I been forced to make a decision at half time, but others came into the reckoning after the break, none more so than Thompson and McDonald. For me though we got another good performance from Paterson and for the second home match in succession he gets my vote.
Saturday is another day. We are still very much in this fight and are giving nothing up. We want the players, whoever is in the team, to give it all we've got. We need to do that in the stands too and not be having a go when things don't quite go to plan.
There are nine games left, and plenty of points to play for. Like every Burnley fan I was so hoping for three of them last night. At the end of the day though that one point we won might be vital.
The teams were;
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Leon Cort, Danny Fox (Stephen Jordan 77), Martin Paterson, Jack Cork (Kevin McDonald 45), Graham Alexander, Chris Eagles, David Nugent, Steven Thompson (Wade Elliott 71). Subs not used: Nicky Weaver, Michael Duff, Andre Bikey, Robbie Blake.
Yellow Cards: Clarke Carlisle, Kevin McDonald.
Stoke: Thomas Sorensen, Andy Wilkinson, Abdoulaye Faye, Robert Huth, Danny Collins, Liam Lawrence (Danny Pugh 63), Dean Whitehead, Rory Delap, Matthew Etherington, Mamady Sidibe (Dave Kitson 63), Tuncay Sanli (Louis Moult 85). Subs not used: Asmir Begovic, Amdy Faye, Andrew Davis, Matthew Lund.
Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham).
Attendance: 20,323.