We're still in there

Last updated : 20 February 2005 By Tony Scholes
Tony Grant - man of the match performance
If anyone thought this wasn’t a high profile game then it soon hit them as they arrived, with police just about everywhere, helicopters overhead and even a plane flying over with a message of support for the Clarets.

I even bumped into the person responsible for the match, Peter Reid, who drew the number out of the hat. I’d met him at Stan Ternent’s testimonial, funny though I remembered him but he didn’t remember me. He said he thought it was going to be a tough, hard battle.

There were no major shocks in the Burnley team, the only doubts were in the two wide positions in midfield and Steve Cotterill decided to leave both John Oster and Graham Branch on the bench and start with Michael Duff and Jean-Louis Valois.

This meant returns for Gary Cahill at the back and Ian Moore up front with captain Frank Sinclair starting at right back.

Reidy was right about the battle and it was always going to be a game with very few chances and so it was, the good news for the Clarets was that our supposed Premiership neighbours hardly looked to be a step above us for much of the game.

It was a first half of little in the way of goalmouth action and a half of Robbie Savage trying to referee the game, how on earth does he get away with it.
Neither goalkeeper was particularly busy but Brian Jensen made one particular good stop down to his left but their best chance of the first half came when he raced off his line to get to a free kick and missed out, thankfully the header went over.

Other than that the Clarets defence were very much in command but it was very similar at the other end. Our closest effort came from a well worked corner that saw Micah Hyde’s shot blocked by the referee with the long hair, before Pete Whittingham got in a shot that John McGreal deflected just wide.

Frank Sinclair was in inspired form but looked to have picked up an injury early on. He seemed to run it off but then just a few minutes before half time was forced off with a hamstring injury.

That meant a reshuffle with John Oster coming on with Duff moving to full back and John McGreal taking the captain’s armband.

Those poor souls watching on television were subjected to HM Government’s embarrassing Foreign Secretary Jack Straw during the half time interval, he chose to insult our club just as often as he could.

At the ground the visiting fans were also embarrassing when the booed onto the field a player who had played a hundred and fifty league games for them.

As is often the case the former Claret making the half time draw had played for both clubs but those in the cricket field end, obviously mainly post 1991 supporters seemed to have no idea who John Connelly was. No wonder the Burnley fans sang, “He’ll always be a Claret.”

Someone got onto the pitch from the stands during the interval but it was dealt with, sadly there was worse to come.

If we’d done well in the first half then I thought we were better in the second and we certainly started well. Tony Grant, obviously carried away following his goal scoring exploits at Crewe, got another shot in just after the interval but it was off target.

John Oster was certainly having an influence and he got in a cross from one good run and then in the next attack he beat two men before hitting a shot goalwards that was blocked.

Frank Sinclair - forced off before half time with a hamstring injury
Valois on the left was causing them some problems with his trickery and he was ably assisted by Mo Camara who was marauding down the touchline to join in the attacks.

It was all interrupted when we got our second pitch invasion, this time a streaker. Chants of “There’s only one Richard Chaplow” were sung at the bald headed intruder. Richard was watching the Clarets from the stands but after what seemed an age he (the streaker and not Richard) was finally removed.

Another Burnley attack was brought to an end and a counter attack almost brought the first goal of the game as Dickov got clear on the left. McGreal got across and did enough to force him to shoot wide but both players needed lengthy treatment.

It eventually forced Super John off with Lee Roche coming on. That meant Duff going into the centre, his third position in the match, Roche becoming the third right back and Micah Hyde becoming the third captain of the afternoon.

As the clock ticked down it was the Clarets doing most of the pressing and you sensed that if there was going to be a goal it would be ours. The fourth official indicated an extra five minutes and as we pushed forward all our momentum was lost when the game came to a stop again and this time it was a lot more serious.

One so called supporter got on and appeared to square up to Robbie Savage. It could have all been so much uglier but for the quick and excellent action of referee Mike Dean who pushed the players away.

He was finally caught by the police and looked to strike one police woman in the face before being led away. Incredibly he received warm applause from some supporters as he was led out of Turf Moor for the last time.

It killed the game and apart from one break down the left we produced nothing in the time played afterwards before Dean’s final whistle signalled a trip to Ewood in just over a week’s time.

It wasn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination but our players gave it everything they had. We defended well and again the two central defenders were outstanding but my man of the match goes to Tony Grant who was magnificent in the midfield area, and he had to cope with that bloody nuisance with the long hair.

They all did well though and we can be proud of them, whether we like it or not that lot down the road are in the Premiership and we more than matched them. There was no conceding, no 5-0 thrashing but a Burnley side who weren’t prepared to give them an inch.

Now it’s off to Ewood, that's after our trips to Derby and Preston this week.

The teams were,

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Frank Sinclair (John Oster 45), Gary Cahill, John McGreal (Lee Roche 78), Mo Camara, Michael Duff, Micah Hyde, Tony Grant, Pete Whittingham, Jean-Louis Valois, Ian Moore (Graham Branch 86). Subs not used: Danny Coyne, Joel Pilkington.

Blackburn: Brad Friedel, Lucas Neill, Andy Todd, Ryan Nelsen, Nils-Eric Johansson, Brett Emerton, Robbie Savage, Tugay (Steven Reid 64), Morten Gamst Pedersen, Paul Gallagher (David Johnson 82), Paul Dickov (Jemal Johnson 73). Subs not used: Peter Enckelman, Aaron Mokoena.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Attendance: 21,468.