Slow
train to Burnley
Burnley 2 QPR 1
Report by Cozzo
I've been particularly annoyed by the recent
Virgin Trains adverts telling us that they are 'getting back to business as usual'. If
this means still taking four and a quarter hours between Euston and Preston, then please
can we have 'business as unusual' where trains run to a timetable and are pretty much on
time? Virgin cannot produce a timetable for seven days hence because 'Railtrack won't give
them the information'. Funny, but every other franchise seems to be able to get the
information, so why can't Virgin Trains? Even if they can't, they should still be
producing a timetable and then when Railtrack deign to provide the details of engineering
works and, so we are told, speed restrictions, they could announce amendments to the
scheduled service.
So it was that we decided using Virgin to get to
a 1pm kick off on Saturday was too risky, and opted for a Friday afternoon service, hoping
that weekdays would be better. Unfortunately not. A train that is scheduled to take 40
minutes for the 15 minute trip from Wigan to Preston still managed to be nearly half an
hour late. In the last three months the service has not improved one bit, and to add
insult to injury Virgin Trains are putting up the Group Travel prices before the end of
the season.
Enough of the business genius that is Richard
Branson and onto the game. Even though the kick off was two hours earlier the build up was
remarkably similar to normal: pie and peas in the Sparrow Hawk and a few pints (for which
prices were to be reduced after the game because the bar is being closed for the next few
days for a 'multi-million pound' refurbishment); a brisk walk to the ground in a cold,
gusting wind; and an arrival before the players were out on the pitch. Most abnormal!
After a minute's silence for Jack Butterfield,
who had been at the club as Commercial Manager and General Manager in the 60's, 70's and
80's, the Clarets lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Weller and Branch at full back and
Thomas and Davis at centre back, in the absence of Cox on international duty; across the
midfield were Little, Ball, Cook and Smith, with Taylor and Moore up front. The usual
suspects made up the bench: Crichton, Payton, Armstrong, Mullin and Maylett. Briscoe was
out, having strained his other hamstring during the Sheffield Wednesday game last week.
QPR also lined up 4-4-2, but it was very difficult to work out who was who, as the red
writing on hooped shirts was very difficult to decipher. The one player you could see was
the inaptly named Crouch, whose gangly 6'7'' frame (but incredibly thin legs) dwarfed
Davis.
The Clarets started in very lively fashion and
dominated the first ten minutes without really extending Lee Harper in the QPR goal at the
Cricket Field end. A volley from Ball scuttled along the floor, but was comfortably held
by the young keeper. Burnley seemed to be able to attack at will, but couldn't quite get
the end result until Moore twisted and turned on the right hand side of the box before
laying the ball back for Little, whose low cross into the six yard box was volleyed home
by Paul Smith. It was his first goal in four years, apparently, and I would guess that the
last was live on Sky against Stan Ternent's Bury.
QPR were mostly on the back foot, apart from the
odd break where Jermaine Darlington on the left wing posed a couple of problems and Crouch
hit the side netting from an acute angle. Generally Thomas and Davis handled him with some
ease and he didn't get a decent cross all half as they all had to be hit from deep. Cook
was dispossessed trying to allow the ball to run out by the corner flag and received a
verbal volley from Branchy (remember that for later Graham!) but the ensuing cross was
blocked. Nik did well from one corner despite an obvious foul, but there was always the
suspicion that we needed a second despite being by far the better team, especially when a
thumping free kick thudded against a post despite Cook's attempt to back pedal onto the
line to cover it.
Little was making some surging runs and
stumbling over the ball, and still getting past players. Taylor was proving a handful in
the air and having a better game than the previous week (not difficult). Moore was also
looking lively and his pace was causing a few problems in the QPR defence, and only a
couple of very late flags by the assistant prevented runs on goal. Judging by the reaction
in the Bob Lord stand, they were not correct either. The only problem seems to be that
Moore does not link up well with Taylor. The flicks and touches rarely find their target
either, because they are mis-directed or Moore is not reading them. Too often the opening
was lost because of this and the move broke down.
Just before half time the second goal came from
a corner from the right wing. It was half-cleared to the edge of the box, where Paul Smith
attempted a shot which looped up from a QPR block towards the goal. Taylor was on hand to
guide his header into the corner, and at half time we looked very comfortable. The talk
was of whether we could actually manage to score three goals in a game at home for the
first time this season.
This was definitely a game of two halves. If in
the first we looked calm and assured, then in the second we were all at sea. An early goal
for Bignot as no one tracked his run, particularly Davis, who was caught ball watching as
a header was knocked back across the six yard box, seemed to spread panic through the
ranks. QPR passed the ball well and Crouch caused more problems by dropping deep and
turning and running at the defence than he had by trying to win flick ons. In fact, if it
hadn't been for the wasting of several gilt-edged chances, QPR could easily have had all
three points. The first was blazed over from six yards, a header was well saved by NTG and
then a break down the inside left led to the ball being slid across the box, where three
QPR players were waiting marked only by Branch. Somehow no one got on the end of it when
it looked easier to score, although some credit must go to Branchy, which cannot be said
about the next two chances. For the first, Branch was muscled off the ball, but the chance
was wasted, and for the second, on the edge of the box, he tried to allow the ball to run
across his body but was caught out by a fast moving QPR forward.(remember what was said
earlier?). The ball bounced to another QPR player in the box, who again failed to hit the
target, but the first had gone to ground, claiming he had been brought down.
Meanwhile Moore charged down a Harper clearance,
but the ball rebounded wide of the goal, much to Harper's relief. I find Moore a
frustrating player at times, as he seems to have ability and pace to burn, but reacts to
the pass rather than anticipating it like Payton does. Consequently, he often gives
defenders two or three yards start and looks like he is working hard chasing a poor ball
when he should have read it in the first place. In the second half, Smith made a great run
down the left whilst Moore ambled alongside without making any move to give him an option.
He is a good player but he could be so much better.
Maylett replaced Smith, with Little moving to
the left to accommodate this. Maylett made an immediate impact, as the QPR defence
struggled to cope with his pace, and Barraclough was soon booked for a cynical challenge.
One delightfully floated ball from Maylett to the far post was scrambled clear. Then Moore
made way for Payton with twenty minutes to go. Payton looked very sharp, but with the
Clarets very much on the back foot and Taylor fading badly he was left to feed on scraps.
He did pick up one through ball and fed Maylett in, and he had one shot, but the cocky
strut was back and he showed a little of what we have been missing. Maylett was again
brought down by Barraclough, and he was very lucky to escape a sending off. When he
brought Maylett down a third time on the touchline the referee didn't even give the free
kick, possibly in the knowledge that he would definitely have had to send him off. Weller
exacted retribution within seconds and was promptly yellow carded.
Armstrong replaced Cook, who once again had
worked his socks off for the cause, with scant recognition from the Turf Moor faithful.
I've grown to like Cooky; he always gives it his best, and even when things are not
working for him he doesn't hide. A good man to have in your corner. Armstrong's arrival
signified the late onslaught form QPR that resulted in a penalty appeal against Weller for
handball and a session of pinball in the Burnley box that had to be seen to be believed.
The final whistle brought relief as the three
points were gained, but the only difference between ourselves and QPR was their inability
to finish the chances they created. Fair play to the two hundred or so QPR fans who had
made the journey, as they gave the team their full backing throughout the game, and if
only for their sake it would be nice to see them stop up.
Team:
Michopoulos, Thomas, Davis, Weller, Branch, Ball, Cook (Armstrong 77), Smith (Maylett 63),
Little, Moore (Payton 69), Taylor. Subs not used: Crichton and Mullin.
Scorers: Smith
(11), Taylor (41) / Bignot (53).
Attendance:
14,018.
Referee: D Pugh
of Bebington.
London Clarets Man
of the Match: Mitchell Thomas.
The away game
