Owen's Army copy Jimmy's Armada

Last updated : 22 March 2009 By Tony Scholes
Clarke Carlisle
Clarke Carlisle - outstanding performance at the back
The last time we won there was when Jimmy Mullen's Armada set sail for Wembley and a play off final against Stockport as the home fans hurriedly rushed to cancel the coach seats they'd already booked for a day out at the national stadium. That was a vital win, this one could prove to be just as vital.

The tension inside Home Park for ninety minutes was incredible as we twice took the lead and hung on to it to secure the points. As we left there were huge smiles on relaxed faces, even more so as the other results started to come in.

It was an early start for us for the longest journey of the season with lunch pre-booked in Ivy Bridge, just a few miles away from Plymouth. The local beever shop had been replaced by a less than acceptable bakery but sustenance was found inside a welcoming local hostelry.

Eventually we were on to Home Park on what had to be the warmest and sunniest day for some time and we were in the ground early to hear that there were no changes to the team that had played in that superb game of football at Ipswich.

Pre-match was reminiscent of days gone by. There was a band playing, a pipe band to be exact which was perhaps appropriate given who the two managers and their assistants are. It was forces day and the pre-match was very much based on that theme coupled with the traditional music played there every year including such classics as 'The Great Escape' theme, a song I vividly remember being played after we'd beaten them in the last game of the 1997/98 season at the Turf.

A minute's silence in respect of our armed forces was spontaneously converted into a minute's applause by the crowd, a minute that was respected fully by those on all four sides of the ground. I'm not so sure it needed to be followed by prayers though.

In a scrappy opening it was Burnley who had the first chance. A cross from the right fell to Chris McCann but he screwed his shot wide of goal.

Argyle then had their first shot, a long range effort dealt with by Brian Jensen at the expense of a corner. It was already clear we weren't going to get a game anything like the Ipswich game. No surprise really, the Portman Road pitch was like a carpet and this one wasn't, Ipswich play football whilst Plymouth are more of a lump it forward sort of side.

All in all there was very little quality on show in the first quarter of an hour before the game sprung to life with two goals, one for either side.

It was McCann who latched onto a loose ball after a set piece for the Clarets had been headed away. He played it wide to Blake whose cross to the far post was met by a towering header from Steven Caldwell leaving Romain Larrieu with no chance.

A goal up, that was just the start we wanted, but it didn't last more than a minute. And what a poor goal to give away. Rhys Williams got himself in some trouble but it looked as though Chris Eagles had recovered the situation. Unfortunately he played it back to the full back who was caught again and Alan Judge hit his shot into the corner with Brian Jensen possibly able to do better when he got a hand on it.

It really was a bad goal to give away. Williams should have dealt better on two occasions and I'm very much in the get rid of it camp rather than trying to play it out as Eagles did.

The equaliser prompted an immediate change from Burnley. Wade Elliott came onto the right hand side with Eagles going onto the left and that meant a more central role for Blake.

Somehow during the next few minutes we remained level but I'm not sure how. Jensen had to deal with yet another angled shot after Williams was again found wanting. The full back was having a torrid time but he was not involved when Plymouth really should have gone in front a few minutes later.

Coming back towards his own goal Caldwell was screaming at his goalkeeper to come but eventually tried to find him with a header back that was way too short. Jamie Mackie got their first and squared it for Ashley Barnes who had the simple task of putting into the empty net.

Now where the hell Clarke Carlisle turned up from only he will know but it's as well he did turn up. Somehow he got back and got in a brilliant block to deny Plymouth. He was proving to be the shining light in a defence that was clearly struggling with the direct approach from the home side but thankfully we did get to grips with it.

It was their last meaningful attack in the first half and it was the Clarets who twice came close to restoring the lead before half time. The first was from a Blake free kick from well outside the box. It looked a goal all the way until Larrieu just managed to get his finger tips to it.

Then in the very last minute Martin Paterson strangely opted not to shoot when clean through and instead played it for Blake who just failed to get a shot in as a challenge came in from a defender.

All square at half time was probably a fair reflection of the first half and with no bad news from the other grounds we just needed a good forty-five minutes everywhere to give us the day we wanted.

The first half hadn't been laden with quality football and there were no suggestions that the second half was going to be any different. Most of the play was towards our goal and little was seen of us as an attacking force.

Jay Rodriguez came on for Eagles as we looked to switch system but everything was down the far end where Christian Kalvenes had become public enemy number one after a challenge the home fans thought should have brought more reward than the waving of play on from referee Booth.

Owen Coyle then got Joey Gudjonsson ready to come on. Was he coming on for Robbie Blake? We'll never know. As Joey stood next to the fourth official and his electronic board Jensen kicked the ball out of his hands. It was a Plymouth defender who got his head to it but it fell for Robbie.

He got it under control, moved forward and from 25-yards half volleyed it into the bottom corner to the keeper's right. From the moment it left his boot every Burnley fan at that end of the ground knew where it was going and that away end went crazy as Robbie celebrated right in front of us.

I looked at my watch, just about eleven minutes to go once we'd restarted. That can be a long time, but make no mistake we'd won this game and we didn't really give the home side a sniff.

Joey did come on, and it was for Robbie who yet again got a standing ovation from the Burnley fans. He'd created the first and scored the second.

Plymouth needed a goal but we didn't let them even get forward and we could have scored again. Twice Jay was through one-on-one but he went too wide round the keeper on the first one and shot too hurriedly with the second.

The only problem we had was when the fourth official indicated there would be five, yes five, extra minutes. You think you've done the job and then you have what seems to be an eternity added.

As it happened it didn't matter. Wade decided to play the game on his own for much of those five minutes. He was brilliant as he took the ball to the corner aided and abetted by Joey and Jay. He won a couple of corners, some throw ins, and just generally frustrated Plymouth to the extent that one defender can count himself very lucky indeed not to have been carded.

It was cruel but the Burnley fans were loving it almost to the point that we didn't want it to end. But end it did. Three more points and then news from the games involving Preston, Swansea and Bristol City.

I loved the game at Ipswich last Tuesday and it was on a different planet to this one. But we brought home one point from Portman Road (and a good point it was too), against Plymouth we brought three home with us and that's what will count now.

We pumped up the volume in the car for the playing of 'The Impossible Dream' but the simple fact is we can for now keep dreaming. Doesn't that league table look brilliant just now? Let's keep it going, we can do this.

The teams were;

Plymouth: Romain Larrieu, David Gray, Craig Cathcart, Marcel Seip, Gary Sawyer, Alan Judge (Craig Noone 82), Karl Duguid, Carl Fletcher, Paul Gallagher, Ashley Barnes (Rory Fallon 80), Jamie Mackie (Steven MacLean 80). Subs not used: Jim Paterson, Krisztian Timar.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Rhys Williams, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes, Graham Alexander, Chris Eagles (Jay Rodriguez 58), Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake (Joey Gudjonsson 81), Martin Paterson (Michael Duff 89). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Kevin McDonald.
Yellow Cards: Rhys Williams.

Referee: Russell Booth (Notts).

Attendance: 11,246 (including 672 Clarets).