Time to crack on

Last updated : 15 February 2009 By Tony Scholes
Chris McCann
Chris McCann - scored the early goal that won it for the Clarets
Having watched us in our last three games against West Midlands clubs West Brom, Birmingham and now Wolves it is hard to believe we've just come out of a run of five successive league defeats, a run that ultimately could cost us come the end of the season.

We are very much a side right back in form now. We were head and shoulders better than West Brom in the cup replay, we outplayed Birmingham last week in a game where the result really did not reflect the ninety minutes, and now we've beaten league leaders Wolves and fully deserved to beat them.

I wasn't confident ahead of the game, that's more to do with the record Wolves have at the Turf than anything else, but by the time I was leaving the ground I was delighted with yet another excellent performance in what was a really entertaining game of football.

All credit to Wolves. Their style is different than ours but they didn't come to shut shop and look for a point and their positive attitude contributed to the ninety minutes that no one could have said was poor value.

Although we'd won four points from the last two games they were the only points in seven, whilst for Wolves, they came into the game in the middle of a very disappointing run that had seen them win only one of eight games in the same period.

Such was the performance at Birmingham last week that players such as Chris Eagles and Kevin McDonald, champing at the bit to get back into the side, had to make do with places on the subs bench as Owen Coyle, hardly surprisingly, named the same starting eleven that had started the game so brilliantly at St. Andrew's.

Maybe the start wasn't just as good this time but it still didn't take us much longer to grab the lead. For seven successive league games we'd gone 1-0 down, but for the second time in a week we were 1-0 up with an early lead.

It took six minutes to come this time but it came after Wolves looked to have settled the better of the better of the two sides. It started with a throw in down the left which Wolves appeared to have dealt with, but Graham Alexander picked it up in the midfield and played it out to Rhys Williams on the right. The loan defender, who had another excellent game, played it on to Wade Elliott and the winger curled in an inch perfect cross for Chris McCann to come in at the far post to head home from close range.

Despite the lead it was never anything like the Birmingham game and Wolves certainly had their fair share of possession. I suspect they had more than us in the first half and did put us under a bit of pressure. But I can't recall Brian Jensen having much to do as we defended when we had to, particularly in the centre of the defence where Michael Duff and Steven Caldwell were in excellent form.

If anything we looked the more dangerous and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey recovered quickly from a mistake to deny Caldwell a headed goal and we even had the wonderful sight of Wade getting in a good header from a Robbie Blake cross that went just over.

By half time it was still 1-0 and I think we were worth it. Wolves had offered a lot less than us in terms of opportunities and Hennessey had certainly been the busier of the two goalkeepers.

However, if the first half had been relatively close in terms of possession, the second half was anything but, and for long spells we were far and away the better side. I'd some sympathy for Wolves to be honest, they like every other side had no answer whatsoever to the promptings of the inspirational Robbie Blake and it was our little magician who almost conjured up the second goal. He might be no card shark but he pulled another rabbit out of the hat with a superb ball for Wade who in turn played in McCann. The young Irishman should probably have done better but shot straight at Hennessey.

It was a good chance and two minutes later we got an even better one. Alexander played the ball forward and Martin Paterson got the offside line absolutely right enabling him to run clear from a Steven Thompson flick on. He never looked comfortable and decided to take it round the keeper. He took it far too wide and when he did finally get a shot in it was easy for Richard Stearman to get back and block it at the expense of a corner.

We do really need to be taking these chances. Those missed at Birmingham cost us and we were now wondering whether they would cost us again. But there was nothing Paterson could do in the next attack that ended courtesy of referee Clive Oliver.

Mr Oliver had been very consistent all afternoon. He'd totally ignored every shirt pull from a Wolves player and pulled our players up for it. This time it was downright ridiculous as right back Kevin Foley grabbed his shirt and almost wrestled him to the ground.

I'm not having it that the referee might have had an obscured view. There are three officials out there and if they, between them, can't see that's a penalty then they shouldn't be out there in the first place. It's a downright nonsense and no wonder people are constantly questioning the officials.

It wasn't given so we had to get on with it at 1-0, but we were so on top you certainly couldn't see Wolves getting back into the game. They made a double substitution which included Chris Iwelumo coming on to play alongside Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. I rate Ebanks-Blake but he'd be a much better player if he opted to play the game and stay on his feet rather than keep going down.

You knew what was coming, and it came, they banged balls up for their physical front men and now we had something else to deal with. In truth, we dealt with it and Wolves didn't create anything at all despite the number of times they got the ball into our box.

The three minutes of added time, that became four because of a substitution, caused us no problems at all. Beating Wolves at home is a rare treat indeed, and this was one very definitely to be savoured.

There really were some good candidates for man of the match. All of the back four played well and allowed Wolves very little hope of a goal. The two central defenders were in top form and I have to pick out Michael Duff who turned in probably his best performance of the season.

However, and I know this is getting boring, but once again I have to go for Robbie Blake. Wolves were the latest in a line of teams who just have no answer to him. He tormented them from start to finish.

But it's a team game and if, and I know it is a big if, we can continue to play like this until the end of the season then we really are in with one hell of a shout of a play off place. We just need to start taking more of the chances that come our way.

This was a good performance without doubt in what really was an entertaining game of football. We fully deserved those three points. We've reached fifty points, now let's crack on and see where it takes us.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Rhys Williams, Michael Duff, Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes (Kevin McDonald 69), Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake, Steven Thompson (Jay Rodriguez 90), Martin Paterson (Chris Eagles 83). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Joey Gudjonsson.

Wolves: Wayne Hennessey, Kevin Foley, Richard Stearman, Christophe Berra, Stephen Ward, Michael Kightly, Nigel Quashie (David Edwards 60), Karl Henry, Matt Jarvis, Sam Vokes (Chris Iwelumo 59), Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Subs not used: Shane Higgs, Neill Collins, Andy Keogh.

Referee: Clive Oliver (Northumberland).

Attendance: 13,515.