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In a game where niggles led to personal battles, Bradford ended the game with nine men, their management then making accusations of having played against twelve, the visitors pill to swallow made even more bitter by Stan's post match comments that the unbeaten run has been maintained.
Whilst undeniably true, the statement cannot cover over the fact that Clarets were totally unprofessional in their conduct over the closing fifteen minutes, and their preference of playing keep ball rather than to put the game well and truly beyond a depleted, dead on its feet Bradford side, left many Clarets fans in moods ranging from disappointment to downright anger as they left the stadium in various states of bewilderment and embarrassment.
This was a game that Clarets most certainly should have won and one that was well and truly in the bag until amateurish tactics allowed Bradford to equalise in the dying seconds; how long it will take Clarets to recover and where it leaves the relationship between supporters, players and the management team only time will tell.
There were no Moore's in the starting line up, Stan electing to begin the game with a cluster of left backs down Clarets left hand side, McGregor getting the full back slot and Briscoe in front, who was to continue his poor run of form, Stan determined to make a midfielder out of him no matter how long it takes.
The front two berths went to Taylor and Papadopoulos, the latter a name that will not be forgotten in the "BD" post code area for quite some time, the homesters quite irate at Dimi's attempts to kiss the grass whenever challenged. The bench saw the return of Davis after weeks of recovery from injury, the Moore duo and a Robbie Blake eager to please his former and current supporters, both of whom gave warm applause at the very mention of his name.
Buoyed by a large away following, Clarets began brightly and were the more positive of the sides in the early minutes. Taylor should have put the Clarets into the lead on ten minutes, but was trying to be too precise when nodding down Little's precise pull back and in doing so put the ball wide of Davison's far post, instead of into the gaping goal.
City did eventually get going, Molenaar testing Marlon from long range, but the shot proved an elementary save for the impressive Beresford, who was to have another fine game. Bower was booked for upending Papadopopoulos from the first of their many exchanges, as Little curiously began to wander from wing to wing disappearing from the game in the process, before Bradford took the lead somewhat against the run of play.
Good work down their left between Jacobs and Cadamarteri saw the latter cut the ball across the face of goal to the far post, where the unmarked Gray, adjudged not to be offside, had the simplest of tasks of turning the ball home left footed from six yards, both fullbacks coming into question at conceding a goal with such ease.
The game stunned Clarets who were not to be the same team for the remaining thirty minutes of the half. Papadopopopoulos' name followed that of Bower's into Mr Dean's book, their personal battle continuing as the Greek one used his arm to turn his man, before Bower recovered well to stop Papadopopopopoulos getting his shot in after a good through ball from Cook had put the sprightly one through on goal.
Papadopopopopopoulos' pace again was his main threat and ultimately Bower's undoing. Another pass through the back four saw Dimi on his way, but he was pulled back by last man Bower, Mr Dean went for a new colour of card combination and Bower was on his way to the showers as the Stadium erupted in protest around two and a bit sides, whilst one and a bit enjoyed a chorus of bye bye's at the sight of a slow walking player. Taylor was next into the book, his a needless name taken for a futile tackle on the halfway line.
As half time approached the former Liverpudlian's Cook and Cadamarteri decided theirs was the next personal battle to come to the boil and Mr Dean called them over as a red mist descended over the pair of them. Down to ten men, Bradford were noticeably retreating behind the ball and Clarets understandably finished the half much the stronger of the two sides, though Arthur did his best to give them a chance on the stroke of half time when getting caught in possession and he could be very thankful to his keeper in saving Proctor's header, Marlon going the wrong way but still managing the save. So on to half time, much to talk about in the long queues for the inadequate facilities served up at Valley Parade, sorry Pulse Stadium or whatever it's called this week.
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From the resulting free kick West and Cadamarteri clashed, West ended on the floor and Mr Dean endeared himself towards the home crowd no end by flashing a straight red card to the forward, who then endured the long walk to the dressing rooms with a fair degree of barracking from a joyful away end.
In the following few minutes and in a cauldron of an atmosphere, some of the home players clearly lost their cool, Mr Dean teetered on the brink of losing control of the game, now reaching boiling point as Robbie Blake steered the ball home via Myers back for an equalising goal, with little over ten minutes of the half gone.
On the hour mark, Arthur was replaced by Davis, Stan presumably tired of seeing his defender operating in complacent mode, as Clarets completely dominated the game. Both West and Davis missed good chances, whilst Davison saved well from both Taylor and Little. Sandwiched in between, Gray missed a good chance in a rare piece of action for Marlon, before Clarets took the lead.
Robbie Blake took the ball well and moved across field before releasing a good ball to Little, who for once, crossed straight away, sending a delightful ball in for Taylor to power home his first goal of the season, heading home from eight yards. Cue wild scenes in the away end and a sense of reservation in the home stands that the inevitable had arrived. At this point, with fifteen minutes to go, Clarets could and most definitely should have pressed home their advantage, secured the win with more goals and played much further up the field than they chose to in the remaining minutes, in which an injured Myers was replaced by Jorgensen.
What followed instead was diabolical, inept and a display of unnecessary arrogance and complacency. Unprofessionally, Clarets elected to string thirty pass moves back and forth across a static back four, content to play keep ball, frustrating every one in the stadium, the home fans sarcastically applauding the ball as it moved futilely from one side of the pitch to the other, before briefly moving up to a midfield player, then instantly returned to the back four for another thirty pass sequence.
It was unnecessary to play another professional side in this manner, even with some Clarets playing at 80% and the remaining Bantams operating at 120%. Beat them handsomely, yes, but to try and rub their noses in it, most definitely not. There was an inevitability that someone, somewhere would make a mistake and that in doing so the slender one goal lead would not be enough and so it proved as the game moved into its very final minute of stoppage time.
Davis was caught in possession thirty yards from goal by Jorgensen who raced on to goal, shooting powerfully as he moved into the area, forcing Marlon into an exceptional save off the post, where the ball returned to Jorgensen, who was able to calmly slide the ball across the six yard box for Proctor to shoot home into a now empty net. The wild scenes of delirium in the home stands were matched by the angry scenes in the visiting end, as most visiting fans left the ground shocked, disbelieving and stunned by what they had just witnessed, Mr Dean blowing the final whistle almost as soon as Clarets took the kick off.
Att:- 14,561.
Glass Half Empty
It was a horrid, horrid final fifteen minutes of utter contempt shown in particular by the showboating Clarets defenders and managerial tactics that were shameful. The negativity shown in the final stages of this following the second goal, I sincerely hope are never repeated in the time spent watching Burnley Football Club.
Star Gazers
The back four, the lot of them. How they could persevere passing the ball back and forth as they did was diabolical and led to a school ground error for the equalising goal.
Glass Half Full
The desire shown to get their noses in front was evident, right from the start of the second half. Robbie Blake, Alan Moore and Glen Little created many many problems for the home defenders and they ran them ragged in the second half - whenever they were allowed to do so.
Star Geezer
Paul Cook. Whilst somewhat fortunate to stay on the pitch in the early stages of the second half, he removed the red mist that had descended upon him to give a tireless display of passing, running and availability for his defenders to pass to that renewed the belief that in Cook here is a player prepared to give his absolute all.