This was pure Burnley v Spurs

Last updated : 11 May 2010 By Tony Scholes
Steven Thompson
Steven Thompson - scored our last Premier League goal
The end of the season weekend started on the Saturday evening with the Clarets Mad Golden Jubilee Jamboree which was celebrating the 50th anniversary of Burnley becoming League Champions.

Three of that team were able to join members of the message board and guests - namely Trevor Meredith, Jimmy Robson and Jimmy McIlroy. They were joined by Director of Youth at Turf Moor, Martin Dobson, and former centre-forward Willie Irvine who entertained us.

All of them proved to be excellent company and it was in discussion with the brilliant Jimmy Mac at the end of the evening that we considered Spurs to be the most appropriate opponents given that he, Meredith, Robson and Ray Pointer would be on the Turf Moor pitch at half time.

Burnley v Spurs games have always been special to me because of that early 60s period. The season after we won the league they won the double and in that season we came from 4-0 down at White Hart Lane to draw 4-4 and then went 2-0 down in the home game before winning 4-2.

They were classic games then between the two teams and that has continued into more recent years with our League Cup success against them in 2002 and then the amazing semi-final last season that was so hard to take.

Of course we couldn't expect anything exciting this time. We'd been relegated two weeks earlier whilst Spurs had clinched fourth place in the Premier League last Wednesday night with a 1-0 win at Manchester City.

Yes, Spurs could with some considerable good fortune move up to fourth and we could climb one place which, if not keeping us up, would give us a bit more money. Even so, it had a real end of season feel to it.

An injury to Michael Duff had seen Steven Caldwell return at Birmingham last week, this time Leon Cort was the player injured and that saw Andre Bikey back in the side and in his more favoured central defensive role.

"He won't play in midfield for Burnley," the then manager said when he signed him, but that's precisely where he played after just a few games and many Burnley fans have been almost demanding that he be restored to the centre of defence.

Otherwise it was an unchanged team, and up against a very strong Spurs side. It was thought Harry (or is that 'Arry) Redknapp might play a weakened team but the only change saw Ben Alnwick come in for the injured Heurelho Gomes in goal for his first Tottenham game since an FA Cup tie against Manchester United last season.

"We could be in for a pasting," the less than optimistic Claret to my left warned me just ahead of kick off and before we'd even got the seats warm I thought he might just be right. A ball down the left saw Aaron Lennon too easily beat Danny Fox and from his cross it was Gareth Bale who got on to it to finish.

Less than three minutes gone, 1-0 down. Surely it wasn't another Manchester City on the way. And it could have been as Spurs got themselves another opportunity within a couple of minutes.

We'd gone into this game on the back of four successive home defeats and already it was looking like a fifth with Spurs looking in total control.

Eventually we did start to get some sort of foothold in the game and were starting to play some neat football and getting players forward. It wasn't particularly threatening but at least we were starting to make a game of it.

Then I did something I seldom do at a Burnley game, I applauded a goal scored by the opposition. Forget how the ball ever got to Luka Modric, just admire the clever footwork that saw him get past Caldwell and then the stunning strike that left Jensen without a prayer as it flew on at his near post.

We'd seen something earlier from Robbie Blake earlier in the season and whilst the home fans earlier had been informing Tom Huddlestone that he wasn't Robbie Blake, there was no denying the sheer quality of this Modric goal.

Two down then and surely game over. Only twice have teams been two behind in a Premier League game all season and come back to win. Both involved Arsenal. They came back to beat the legend's lot from Horwich and then themselves were beaten at Wigan after leading 2-0.

The Burnley fans, who had been providing excellent support, were getting a bit restless and were quick to join in a chant that started in the away end suggesting manager Brian Laws could be losing his job within 24-hours.

Then, with just a few minutes remaining in the first half, we got a goal back. It was an excellent move involving any number of players with Graham Alexander eventually playing the ball forward to Steven Fletcher. The forward flicked the ball through brilliantly for Wade Elliott to hit home left footed off the keeper. It really was a lifeline and lifted the whole place, leaving us with some hope for the second half.

Half time was a treat as the players from fifty years ago came out, and what a reception they got from both the home fans and many of the Spurs fans, presumably the older ones like me who can remember our two great teams.

Early in the second half it could have been 3-1 when Spurs hit the post, but then, in an inspired 45 minutes, we turned the game on its head.

The equaliser was almost Wembley like as Wade, by now playing as well as he's done in weeks, made a forward run so similar to the one he made for the goal in that play off final. This time he played the ball out wide to Martin Paterson on the right.

Pato apparently shouldn't be out there, but he's proving to be a natural in that position and his crossing at times has been excellent. It was again as he got a first time cross in for Jack Cork to get between their two central defenders to head home for his first ever Premier League goal.

His dad Alan was in the Longside watching and Cork Junior was certainly excited at getting his name on the scoresheet.

Turf Moor was now back to how it was early in the season. The noise levels were increasing and that was pushing the team forward. "Another goal could be worth £800,000," I was told, given that Hull were still at 0-0 against Liverpool. Even so, surely we wouldn't come from 2-0 down to go and win it 3-2. Surely we wouldn't get another.

Spurs did hit the woodwork again, but by now it was very much our day and when we got in front I don't think anyone could deny it just that Fletcher and Paterson were the main players. They were both on the top of their game now. Fletcher got into the box and got the ball across for Pato who hit his shot first time to beat Alnwick, the former Sunderland film star.

You'd have thought we were pushing for a Champions League place given the atmosphere now in the stands. It really was fantastic. Me, I just wanted us to hold on to the lead and at least go out with a win.

We did more than that, we went and got a fourth. This time Wade got in a shot from just outside the box that Steven Thompson, just on as a substitute, helped on its way.

Harry's head was nodding in the away team dug out now I thought it might fall off and roll down the touchline. Last season he looked embarrassed when they beat us, this time he looked far from happy.

But it was our day and when Mike Dean called time on our Premier League season, at least we'd bowed out with a win and a memorable game of football.

Amazingly the fans stayed off the field, well most of them did, and allowed the players and staff to come out to say thanks. There was some stick for manager Brian Laws but certainly nothing to justify the Lancashire Telegraph's appalling billboard today proclaiming 'Clarets fans turn on Laws'.

It's been a difficult time for the manager and that has to be considered. He came in after the Lying Scotsman treated our club in a shocking manner and hopped it to Horwich.

Even so, it simply hasn't worked. Some fans weren't happy with the appointment and some weren't prepared to give him a chance. Those numbers I'd say have increased given the results since he arrived and I'm not sure how on earth a manager can succeed at any football club without the support of the fans.

To add to that there have been strong suggestions of dressing room unrest at various times. I suppose, given Gudjonsson's record, you can almost take his words with a very big pinch of salt, but they say there's no smoke without fire and things don't look good do they?

Given all that, I'd say, somewhat reluctantly, that it is perhaps in the club's, and indeed Brian's, best interests if we made a change. It hasn't worked and with so much animosity towards him I just can't see how it can work.

We're down now, and our next league game will be in the Championship. Overall I've loved the experience and to be playing in the big grounds again after all these years has been very special, despite some of the results.

Obviously the wins have been the highlights and none more so than that victory over Manchester United, but there have been many others during the season and it is certainly a season I'll never forget.

And, thankfully, it all ended with a second half performance against Spurs that was possibly as good as anything we've seen all season. We've come a long way, we mustn't let it all slip.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Andre Bikey, Steven Caldwell, Danny Fox, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott, Jack Cork, Martin Paterson (Chris Eagles 90), Steven Fletcher (Steven Thompson 86), David Nugent (Robbie Blake 79), Subs not used: Nicky Weaver, Michael Duff, Stephen Jordan, Kevin McDonald.

Tottenham Hotspur: Ben Alnwick, Younes Kaboul, Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Benoit Asso-Ekotto, Aaron Lennon, Luka Modric, Tom Huddlestone (Wilson Palacios 64), Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe (Roman Pavlyuchenko 63), Peter Crouch (Eidur Gudjohnsen 85). Subs not used: Jimmy Walker, Sebastien Bassong, Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Attendance: 21,161.