To Hull and back for another away win

Last updated : 09 March 2011 By Tony Scholes
Lee Grant - his best game for Burnley
The game saw new loan signing Nathan Delfouneso have a dream debut with the winning goal but the real heroes on the night were further back on the pitch, in particular goalkeeper Lee Grant, central defender Michael Duff who turned in a performance every bit as good as the one at Hull last April, and Dean Marney who had been on the losing side in that 4-1 game almost a year ago.

It was all very tense at times, none more so than during a period in the middle of the second half when it seemed to be one Hull attack after another, but the players fought tooth and nail to retain the lead as the fans gave them incredible backing to come out of it with a third successive league victory.

That win a year ago saw Burnley fans leaving with smiles right across their faces. We were heading for relegation but at least we weren't going down without an away win. Last night those smiles were for very different reasons. We've seen a real change in our fortunes, a real belief that we are moving forwards, and there was a real determination in those smiles that we are not going to pass up this opportunity without giving it a really good go between now and the end of the season.

The team hit the M62 closure on route to the KC last night and their journey there apparently took longer in travelling time than ours did to get there and back, but they looked anything but a travel weary group of players as we started the game just as we'd started the win against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Eddie Howe gave Delfouneso a starting place at the expense of Chris Iwelumo who dropped to the bench, replacing Brian Easton who missed out on the 18, and it was Delfouneso who got the finishing touch to a training ground move to give us a 1-0 lead in just the fifth minute.

It came from a Ross Wallace right wing corner as Burnley attacked from the off. Wallace is bang in form right now and I learned last night from our own fans that he left Preston for the same reason as Graham Alexander had done in 2007.

Wallace hit the corner along the ground aiming almost for the penalty spot. Jack Cork stepped over it for Jay Rodriguez whose shot went straight to the unmarked Delfouneso some three yards from goals and he crowned his debut with a goal by diverting it past his Villa team mate Brad Guzan.

You can't get a better start than that and we were very much the side on top in the first quarter of the game. Without creating too much in terms of goalscoring opportunities we certainly looked the most likely to get a goal.

Hull started to have their moments, and none more so than when a Marney mistake let Matty Fryatt in for a shot at goal. It looked 1-1 but Grant did really well to take a lot of the pace off the shot and that allowed Duff to get back and clear just a yard or so from the line.

As for Marney's mistake, you'd certainly be hard pushed to find another from the midfielder who had received a warm ovation from the Hull supporters ahead of kick off.

By half time we were very much worth our lead but Hull were fighting their way back into the game but as former Claret Andy Payton came out to make their half time draw, an appearance appreciated by both home and away fans, the lead was still very much intact.

And that lead could have been doubled in the second minute after half time when Chris Eagles, who had a disappointing game overall, found Jay Rod whose early shot fizzed inches wide of Guzan's right hand post.

If anyone thought that was going to set the pattern for the second half they were very much mistaken. In terms of attacking play this was Hull's half but how we found our heroes at the other end of the pitch.

Every time Duff won the ball I recalled his performance last season when, with his head bandaged and bleeding, he kept out everything Hull threw at us. It was just the same here, without the blood and bandage and without him going down to the other end and winning a penalty.

Alongside him the entire defence stood firm, ably supported by the rest of the team, and when Hull did get through they could find no way past Grant who had probably his best game yet for Burnley.

There was a short period when I felt sure they'd get one, but it was all credit to us for the way we defended against a team that certainly looked capable of scoring goals.

Nigel Pearson made changes to try and change things. We brought on Wade Elliott and then Chris Iwelumo, for Wallace and Eagles. The changes seemed to benefit us more than Hull. Yes, they were still pressing but now we were getting some opportunities on the counter.

The best of them fell to Jay Rod. Delfouneso was the architect of it all, beating his man before making progress and then playing the ball across to Jay for a shot at goal. The Rodriguez radar, so evident on Saturday, was somewhat off target as the shot blazed well over the bar.

By now we were beginning to look the most likely scorers. Hull had little left, and we saw out the closing minutes far more comfortably than I dared hope.

It was still a relief when referee Darren Deadman blew his final whistle, you see even he can get something right, to signal a third successive league win.

The players duly made their curtain call in front of the delirious Burnley fans before the checks started for the other results. Swansea drawn, Cardiff and Forest beaten, even QPR losing.

It looked a little hopeful a few weeks ago - now there really is a fantastic opportunity to get ourselves right back into the play off picture. But we have to keep winning games.

The teams last night were;

Hull: Brad Guzan, Liam Rosenior, James Chester, Anthony Gerrard, Andy Dawson, Robert Koren, James Harper (Jay Simpson 87), Corry Evans, Nick Barmby (David Amoo 72), Aaron Mclean, Matty Fryatt. Subs not used: Mark Oxley, Tijana Belaid, Jack Hobbs, Tom Cairney, Richard Garcia.

Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Michael Duff, Danny Fox, Jack Cork, Dean Marney, Ross Wallace (Wade Elliott 73), Chris Eagles (Chris Iwelumo 82), Jay Rodriguez, Nathan Delfouneso. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Andre Bikey, Marvin Bartley, Graham Alexander.
Yellow Cards: Danny Fox, Tyrone Mears.

Referee: Darren Deadman (Peterborough).

Attendance: 20,218.

Footnotes

This win means Burnley have now won their last three league games. The last time this was achieved was in March 2009 with wins against Blackpool (away), Crystal Palace (home) and Nottingham Forest (home).

It is also a second successive away win for the first time since wins at Sheffield United and Bristol City in December 2008.