 |
| Ross Wallace - my choice as man of the match |
It required two goals in the last 13 minutes of normal time to get us that point as we stared defeat in the eye with Watford incredibly leading 2-0, and both goals were first goals as far as Burnley were concerned from fit again Charlie Austin and latest signing Keith Treacy, both of whom started on the bench.
Subs scoring goals; now that was a feature of the 2008/09 season although three years ago it wasn't until the end of September before we saw two league goals scored by substitutes. Austin had come on at half time for the injured Martin Paterson whilst Treacy was introduced for his Burnley debut just a few minutes before Watford got their second.
We'd two other debutants too, Kieran Trippier and Ben Mee, who both lined up in a new back four in front of goalkeeper Lee Grant who got the nod ahead of Brian Jensen in what was the only change to the starting eleven from the team that had kicked off against Sunderland a week earlier.
Ahead of kick off the crowd took their seats early for the award of Jimmy McIlroy's MBE from the Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, Charles Kay-Shuttleworth KCVO, who was delighted to tell everyone that he was a lifelong Claret.
I'm not sure we'll ever witness anything like that again on Turf Moor but it was fantastic to see Jimmy receive his MBE on the pitch and the ovation he received, which included some applause from the sparsely filled away end, was fully deserved.
And so finally to the new season and Burnley kicked off defending the Jimmy McIlroy end of the ground, although we certainly didn't have too much defending to do in the opening exchanges. One half chance apart, most of the play in the first half hour or so was towards the Watford goal.
We played some delightful football and got into some good positions, but too often we failed to capitalise. Down at the other end of the pitch was former Claret Chris Iwelumo, strangely booed by some Burnley supporters, and at times it was that type of player we seemed to be lacking as we failed to get ourselves in front.
There was some good quality going into the box from wide positions. Both Wade Elliott and Ross Wallace had started well whilst new boy Trippier was looking an exciting prospect going forward. He provided the ball for what was our best chance of the half. It fell to Jay Rodriguez who got on the end of the Trippier cross but couldn't get his effort on target.
Watford did start to come into the game more in the last ten minutes but we were the better side although It looked as though we were going to go in at half time with a disappointing 0-0 scoreline. Unfortunately we didn't even get that.
In the last of the 45 minutes, Marvin Sordell got the better of Andre Amougou and got in a cross from the right. Trippier moved to cover the centre and that left Craig Forsyth unmarked to head Watford into the lead.
It was a hammer blow right on half time and when we re-appeared for the second half it saw the introduction of Charlie Austin for the subdued Martin Paterson, who was starting is first game since last November.
Pato had struggled and it was later revealed, worryingly, by Eddie Howe: "Martin was just not feeling 100 per cent. I wouldn't say it was a recurrence of any injury, but he said he couldn't play to his full potential, so he had to come off.
"We need to make sure we get him 100 per cent. He has done all his pre-season and been fine, so it came as a bit of a surprise because I thought he looked quite sharp in the first half as well." Howe also confirmed that Paterson would be withdrawn from this week's Northern Ireland squad.
An early goal in the second half might just have changed things and probably Austin should have scored following another superb ball in from the right from Trippier. He got to it but could only bundle it wide of the far post.
We weren't playing anything like as well as we had in the first half and a goal was looking less likely. Even so, Watford weren't causing us major problems and I sensed an equaliser might just be the catalyst to lift the performance and take us to victory.
Howe brought on Treacy and the Republic of Ireland winger almost made an immediate impact. He fired in a shot that Scott Loach couldn't hold but there wasn't one Burnley player moving towards the loose ball and they cleared with ease.
That was the chance to pull level and we paid for it almost immediately. Ben Mee challenged for the ball but an unmarked Yeates was onto it and he made no mistake. He's certainly found the knack of scoring against us. In under five years he's played against Burnley for five different clubs and has now in his last three appearances against us, netting twice for Sheffield United last season.
This latest goal looked to have won it for Watford but rather than accept defeat the Clarets really did come storming back into the game.
There were just 13 minutes left when we gave ourselves a chance with our first goal of the season. Trippier got down the right hand side and won a free kick. Wallace, my choice as man of the match, played the free kick from the right wing across to Treacy in the middle just a few yards outside the box.
Treacy hit a shot through the crowded box. It seemed to take a couple of deflections, the last of which was off Austin, and the former Swindon striker netted his first goal. A great Treacy-Austin one-two although nothing to do with any former tennis players.
The crowd sensed a comeback and more importantly so did the players. The Turf was noisier than it had been all afternoon and Treacy was involved in just about everything. He forced Loach into another save and then, with just six minutes of normal time remaining, it was Wallace again who got in a cross and this time Treacy was at the back post to head it back across the goalkeeper and into the net.
By now the predictable song was coming from the Longside: "Keith Treacy! He used to play in white, he left because ....." and maybe a new hero has been found as the point was won courtesy of the former Preston wing duo double.
The crowd wanted more and Burnley did all they could to get a winner. It wasn't to be and there were just a couple of scares at the other end as, in trying to get the ball forward too quickly, we gave it away too cheaply.
A win would have been fantastic, but in truth a draw was a relief. A defeat really would have been a rank injustice.
It wasn't perfect by any means and I do think we need a forward who is going to hold the ball up for us, but there were plenty of positives to come out of the game and plenty of suggestions that there is going to be some good football to watch this season.
The teams were;
Burnley: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Andre Amougou, Ben Mee, Danny Fox, Wade Elliott (Keith Treacy 64), Dean Marney, Chris McCann, Ross Wallace, Martin Paterson (Charlie Austin 45), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Marvin Bartley.
Yellow Cards: Andre Amougou.
Watford: Scott Loach, Lloyd Doyley, Adrian Mariappa, Martin Taylor, Carl Dickinson, Mark Yeates, John Eustace, Ross Jenkins, Craig Forsyth, Marvin Sordell, Chris Iwelumo (Troy Deeney 68). Subs not used: Rene Gilmartin, Gavin Massey, David Mirfin, Piero Mingoia.
Yellow Cards: Lloyd Doyley.
Referee: Mark Brown (East Yorkshire).
Attendance: 14,617.