Robbie inspires Baggies win

Last updated : 04 February 2009 By Tony Scholes
Robbie Blake
Robbie Blake - in magical form
We earned this replay with a much deserved late equaliser at the Hawthorns a week last Saturday and no one could deny us this 3-1 win as we once again came out on top against Premier League opposition.

This performance had quality stamped right through it, and there in the centre of it all was the inspirational magician Robbie Blake. He's been in some special form recently and again turned in one of his own master classes against a Baggies side who didn't really know how to stop him.

Not as though this was a one man show by any means, there were top performances all round the pitch from the Clarets despite this being our forty-first league and cup game of the season and the only disappointment was that there were only 6,635 there to see it.

Owen Coyle made two changes from the side that started the 2-1 win against Charlton on Saturday and both were forced on him. Loan signing Rhys Williams was unavailable due to not having been signed in time for the first game whilst Chris Eagles was unwell. In a different formation, Graham Alexander went to right back allowing Kevin McDonald to come into the midfield and Steven Thompson, the two goal hero of Saturday, stepped in for Eagles.

The Turf Moor pitch isn't looking at its best right now but there could have never been any doubts regarding it being fit for the game. The undersoil heating is doing its work very well, and it was only the stands where there were any problems, the lower tier of the Jimmy Mac being closed at what must have been short notice.

We started really well and Robbie served notice of his night to come almost immediately with a shot from outside the box, but a deflection took it wide of goal giving England keeper Scott Carson no problems.

It was proving to be an open game and at the other end Michael Duff had to be alert on a couple of occasions to clear the danger but West Brom did have one good chance that Roman Bednar failed to find the target with.

Burnley were certainly having the better of the exchanges though and such as Martin Paterson and Wade Elliott were benefiting from the promptings of Robbie Blake. The one problem we were having was referee Michael Jones who was so whistle happy there were times when the game just couldn't get going.

There was some good build up down the left from the Clarets with Blake and Thompson linking well and it was from such a move that we won a free kick. Now this one was quite a way out but nothing seems to far for Robbie just now. This time it missed the target to Carson's relief, but not by much. Then he had Carson scrambling again with a shot across him that just went wide.

With the clock moving ever closer to half time we were certainly worth a lead, but instead we almost went behind. Brian Jensen had been involved in nothing other than routine stuff but he pulled off another top drawer save, going down to his right.

A goal for West Brom would have been unjust and reminded me that they scored late in the first half at the Hawthorns to go in at half time a goal in front. The thoughts were still in my head when the fourth official held up the board for one extra minute, I'm sure Charlton manager Phil Parkinson would have approved of that.

Jensen gathered the ball and his kick was met by a West Brom defender who could only head it for Wade. The winger hit an excellent volley leaving Carson grasping at thin air. With just seconds remaining it was the Clarets going in at half time with the lead, and we'd deserved it.

It had been a decent first half, both sides had played some good football and if only the referee had allowed the game to flow. But the second half was to get even better.

West Brom came out intent on getting back into the game and created two early chances. The first, a header, went inches wide of Jensen's right hand post. Had it been inside the post he'd have had no chance of getting to it. In the very next attack no one got onto a ball in the box allowing us to clear.

It had been a nervy start but in our first real attack of the half we doubled our lead. Blake set up Christian Kalvenes down the left. It was not easy for the Norwegian but he got to the ball and put over a cross which was met by Paterson. His header was blocked and Thompson was on hand to hammer it home.

With a two goal lead I was already thinking about the Emirates, but out of the blue they pulled one back through Zuiverloon. Half an hour still to go and we might have a tough fight on our hands.

But we came storming back and for the next period of the game played some delightful stuff. By now Wade was getting his own way down the right hand side. Thompson was proving to be a handful, McDonald was coming more and more into the game, Paterson was running them into the ground, and then there was Robbie Blake.

He seemed to be involved in everything although he maybe could have put the game to bed when he got the ball just inside the box but could only shoot straight at Carson.

Paterson had a shot well saved and then, when Carson couldn't hold a Blake free kick, he got onto the ball but couldn't quite steer it home. It was all Burnley now and McDonald went on a barnstorming run that saw him beat about four defenders before Paterson got in his way as he looked to get a shot in.

A third goal then and it would have been all over but as we got into the last ten minutes the Baggies came more into the game as they searched for that goal to take it into extra time. They didn't create much in the way of chances but they did get the ball into our box a good number of times and we were under some pressure.

Then, with less than three minutes to go, we got the vital third goal to see us safely through. We'd scored two good goals, but this one was worth the admission money alone. Robbie teased and tormented them on the right hand side before slide ruling the ball to Thompson who could do nothing else other than score.

Four goals in no time for Thommo, and all at the Jimmy Mac end of the ground. But Robbie had pulled another rabbit out of the hat with this one.

There was no way back for the Baggies and they went the same way as Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal.

I could go into some debate about the man of the match and there were a number of candidates. You can't discard Thompson when he's scored another two goals, and it seems very harsh not to name him. But once again it was Robbie Blake, long may this form last.

So, Cardiff or Arsenal in the next round whenever and wherever it will be. The odds are stacked very much in favour of a trip to the Emirates Stadium and a first away match against Arsenal since 1975.

But for now let's savour this performance and this win against West Brom. It really was a delight to watch.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Michael Duff, Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes, Wade Elliott, Kevin McDonald (Joey Gudjonsson 80), Chris McCann, Robbie Blake, Steven Thompson (Alex MacDonald 90), Martin Paterson (Jay Rodriguez 90). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Clarke Carlisle, Alan Mahon, Ade Akinbiyi.
Yellow Cards: Steven Caldwell.

West Brom: Scott Carson, Gianni Zuiverloon, Pedro Pele, Ryan Donk, Marek Cech, Graham Dorrans, Do-heon Kim, Filipe Teixeira (Carl Hoefkens 57), Jay Simpson (Chris Brunt 36), Roman Bednar, Fortuné. Subs not used: Dean Kiely, Shelton Martis, Paul Robinson, James Morrison, Robert Koren.

Referee: Michael Jones (Chester).

Attendance: 6,635.