What went wrong?!?!? It was meant to be a straight forward win for the Clarets that would set us up for the final stages of the season; it was simple. Instead we found ourselves further adrift from safety and the fans publicly turning against our manager.
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 | Robbie Blake - drilled a shot against the post |
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The game started well for Burnley with a crisp passing leading to a spurned half chance for Pato before the Clarets moved into "hoof" ball mode. The ball bypassed Burnley's midfield regularly not allowing them to settle and get the ball down. Half chances occurred for both teams from corners and a suicide mission from Doyle took place as he dared to take the "Beast" on with a head on collision, before Jarvis opened the scoring.
In a tense match the first goal was always likely to be crucial and it was given away by Burnley as Mears' header to Jensen fell way short allowing Jarvis to take control and round the keeper for a simple tap in. The Burnley display was erratic, but was not being exploited further by a similarly lacklustre Wolves. The potential game changing moment came as half time closed in when Nugent found space in the box and drove a bouncing ball into the ground only for it to hit the bar and go over. That would have surely sent the Clarets into half time in a buoyant mood, but it wasn't to be.
Laws' words at half time did not have any time to sink into the team as Guedioura's wayward shot deflected in off Carlisle to send Wolves two up. This was just not our day, we were relatively poor, but the scoreline was harsh. In a bid to change the game, Laws brought Bikey & Eagles off for Thommo and Blake which brought about a toxic reaction from the crowd. Wolves nearly sealed the game soon after when Doyle fired across goal from inside the area only for it to agonisingly go wide.
Then the Burnley fightback started to take momentum. Blake started to produce the magic that has had us mesmerised for years and he linked well with Elliott and Jordan. Soon after, Blake tormented the Wolves right hand side and attempted to catch Hahnemann off guard with a drilled shot from the flank that rebounded straight off the post. Burnley's performance had improved dramatically and the ball was passed around with ease from side to side.
Finally, the breakthrough for the Clarets came as Alexander drilled a half volley into the ground and Thommo headed the ball from in front of the keeper into the back of the net. The fightback was a real possibility with the way Burnley had started playing and the pressure increased on Wolves as Burnley pressed.Alexander and Elliott fired wide from decent positions but Wolves could easily have grabbed a third as Burnley pressed forward. The final chance of the game fell to Blake in the dying minutes. He found time and space within the box to fire a stinging shot towards the net, only for the keeper to spill but no Burnley player to pounce.
As the whistle blew, it was clear to see the negative reaction of the fans. It was a much improved display after Blake and Thommo came on, but Burnley were simply not good enough at converting their chances and suffered yet again from individual mistakes at the back. The dream is still alive, albeit slightly wounded at the moment. |
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