Salute the Premier League record breakers

Last updated : 16 October 2014 By Tony Scholes
Tyrone Mears
Tyrone Mears - Man of the Match

We've beaten the record set by our neighbours Blackburn Rovers in 1992 and have become the first side since Watford in 1982 to win the first four top flight home games following promotion.

Earlier wins against Manchester United and Everton were tight affairs, we rode our luck early in the win over Sunderland, but this time there was no denying us as we outplayed Birmingham for long spells, just as we did last season, and this time with the right result.

A first Premier League goal for Steven Fletcher was followed soon after by a first Burnley goal for Andre Bikey and there was never any danger of Brum getting back into the game with their last minute free kick doing no more than taking a bit of gloss off our performance.

We've baked in the heat of Anfield, sweltered at White Hart Lane, but today it was very much more like a Turf Moor football afternoon with a chill at times in the strong winds and a bit of rain thrown in.

We all knew, once Alan Nixon had revealed it in the Daily Mirror, that captain Steven Caldwell was coming back into the side for his first game of the season. It was just a matter of waiting to see who lost their place and Owen Coyle sprung something of a surprise by leaving out Joey Gudjonsson with Andre Bikey moving out of the back four.

It's been said we are putting ourselves under pressure at home with our results on the road, and that can't be argued. However, we didn't look anything like a side under pressure as we tore into Birmingham right from the start.

We pushed them onto the back foot and most of the early play was in front of a half empty cricket field stand, Birmingham as always turning up with very small numbers. We weren't able to create any clear cut chances although there were a couple of efforts blocked.

The game went through a scrappy spell and during this period it was Birmingham who probably should have gone in front. We conceded a corner on their right and the ball reached Lee Bowyer who somehow managed to miss the goal by many a mile. It was their best, and only, chance in the first half.

By half time we'd certainly got the upper hand again but chances were at a premium although Joe Hart had to get down well to save from David Nugent who was starting for the first time in front of the home fans.

At half time I felt we were probably worth a one goal lead but we had to settle for 0-0 as Jock Aird returned to Turf Moor. He looked very sprightly and I did suggest that I hoped I was able to walk so well at 83. I was quickly informed that I don't get around that well even now.

If I don't, then our players certainly did in the second half as we won the game hands down. We were in just the eight minute when Mears, again in excellent form, broke from defence. It looked as though a ball to the right was on but instead he got the ball to Fletcher and Hart couldn't deal with his shot and it flew into the net off his leg.

There's nothing like going for the throat and within a minute or two we'd nearly doubled that lead. Again it was Fletcher getting onto a wonderful ball from Robbie Blake, but his shot hit the foot of the post and to safety.

It was all happening now and Hart did well to deny Fletcher again before the Turf Moor roof came off with a breathtaking second. Bikey came storming through, took a return pass from Nugent before hammering it home. What a goal, or so we though until that was beaten by the celebration with Bikey performing a backwards somersault some distance from the ground.

I'm not sure how we didn't add to that. Bikey headed over when he probably should have hit the target and after Nugent was brought down it was Mears who forced an acrobatic save out of Hart to keep the score at 2-0.

There really was never any danger of Birmingham getting back into this game and they were still 2-0 down when the four minutes of added time were completed. Just a few seconds after that Bikey gave away a free kick and Sebastian Larsson scored from it.

If it did wipe some of the gloss of the performance then it wasn't much it wiped off. This second half performance from the Clarets was fantastic and it really was such a shame that we couldn't keep a clean sheet, one that the back four so fully deserved.

There were good performances all over the pitch again. The two full backs turned in top shows, Caldwell looked as though he'd never been away and Wade was at his best in the midfield.

It's Tyrone Mears again for me for the man of the match, just ahead of the other three. I really don't think I've seen too many better right backs at Burnley over the years judging on the quality of performance we're getting from him right now.

Four wins out of four at home, already we've got more points than Derby did two years ago so those pundits who suggested we were going to be the poorest Premier League team ever can start eating their words.

We might have struggled so far away but this run of home wins has now reached ten games starting with the win against Crystal Palace last March. The last time we had a run as long as that was in the 1999/2000 promotion season.

Now we need to start improving the away record and we'll be fine. The next away game seems just the right time to start too.

Well done Burnley - this really was a good win today.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Andre Bikey, Steven Fletcher (Chris Eagles 72), Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Robbie Blake (Christian Kalvenes 90), David Nugent (Steven Thompson 86). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Michael Duff, Kevin McDonald, Joey Gudjonsson.

Birmingham: Joe Hart, Stephen Carr, Roger Johnson, Scott Dann, Franck Queudrue (Liam Ridgewell 45), Keith Fahey (Sebastian Larsson 45), Barry Ferguson, Teemu Tainio (Kevin Phillips 67), Lee Bowyer, James McFadden, Garry O'Connor. Subs not used: Maik Taylor, Gary McSheffrey, James O'Shea, Lee Carsley.
Yellow Cards: Scott Dann, Barry Ferguson, Stephen Carr.

Referee: Keith Friend (Leicester).

Attendance: 20,102.