Accused
of stealing
Burnley 2 Scunthorpe 2, FA Cup
Third Round
Report by Becko
Burnley started where they left off on New
Year's Day - pathetically.
Straight from the kick off, two passes and
Larusson ran through the heart (misnomer of the day) of the Burnley team. Don't challenge,
just get out of the way lads! Fortunately his shot lacked pace and Nik the Greek was able
to collect comfortably.
If we thought that would spur us into action, it
simply galvanised the Iron further. Within 45 seconds of this we were 1-0 down. Guy Ipoua
charged down the left wing, evading a couple of lunges, to cross to Lee Hodges at the far
post. He had time to control the ball with his left and then bury it with his right.
Hodges is the sort of midfield player we could do with; he can play out on the left or in
a more central role, but more importantly he scores goals: something our midfield can't
do. Ipoua, on the other hand, is the big, powerful centre forward we need. If he was 24
rather than 34 I'm sure he wouldn't be playing in the basement league.
The manner in which we now concede goals is more
than worrying. Neither Mitchell Thomas nor Paul Weller were within twenty yards of Hodges.
Earlier on this season we prided ourselves on our miserly defensive qualities. It now
seems that we are less likely to keep a clean sheet than an incontinent bedridden
geriatric.
At least the goal gave us a kick up the arse and
we started to attack. Stan started with Moore, Mullin and Branch up front, which as
already alluded to left us woefully light in midfield. Mullin was the pick of the bunch
for me; he ran and gave 100%, as you would expect. Personally I can't see why he doesn't
start more games - perhaps in central midfield?
Ian Cox had two good chances from a succession
of corners. One was cleared off the line; the second was similar to Moore's miss against
Wolves when he headed over from six yards.
Micky Mellon, to give him his due, doesn't hide
during the game. Like Paul Cook he wants the ball. It's what he does with it that's so
frustrating: three shots from the edge of the box, but none of them troubling the
Scunthorpe keeper. Paul Cook had a left footer deflected by Cox, and when John Mullin
managed a shot on target Evans kept it out with a fine save.
However, although we were creating a number of
chances at the Jimmy Mac end, we looked easily capable of conceding at the other.
Michopoulos denied Hodges a second after he'd dispossessed Paul Smith.
Just when we thought we were going to go in 1-0
down at the interval, the ball was cleared from our umpteenth corner of the half to Paul
Cook. He played a sweet left foot cross for Ian Moore to get in front of his marker to
level things up.
Just what we needed. Now the floodgates would
open in the second period. The nerves would be calmed and Scunthorpe would be defeated.
But no. Instead of the confidence booster of an equaliser, it was the Iron who took
command. Poor defending resulted in a corner within two minutes of the re-start and Ipoua
was allowed to head home from within the six yard box at the near post. Weller was on the
line, Michopoulos flapped and no one challenged him - simple as that.
Hurray! Stan brings on Little and Payton in an
attempt to liven things up, Mellon and Branch making way. Mullin to the left, then Little
to the left. Then Johnrose on for Paul Cook, but all to no avail. One of the few bright
sparks for me was that Glen looked to have overcome his hamstring injury. Okay, he was a
bit rusty, and his crossing wasn't as good as we've become accustomed to, but he showed
that in a couple of games he could once again be our biggest threat. Disappointing that he
was booked for dissent, though, and there's no excuse for that.
Payton, on the other hand, is looking off form.
There've been rumours about a fall out between him and Moore, and a niggling hamstring
injury. Whatever the truth, when they play together it just doesn't look right. They seem
too similar in style, both better facing goal, neither brilliant at holding the ball up.
Last season Stan didn't often play Payton and Wright together. How good is the decision to
sell Andy Cooke looking? You can only assume Stan was confident he'd be able to sign
Adebola, because otherwise there's no logic in it.
Our main threat in the second half was from
corners. We had fifteen in total but we couldn't find our way through until the 93rd
minute. Every Scunthorpe player was in the box but Johnrose got in a header to get us out
of gaol. To be honest, a draw was a fair result, despite ex-Claret Brian Laws'
protestations that they were playing twelve men and, "it will be the crime of the
Century if we don't get through."
So the rot was stopped (just). Is that the
corner turned? The end of the bad run? I wish I was confident. Kevin Ball will be back for
the replay, but we really need something more in midfield. Whilst Mellon, Cook, Smith and
Johnrose aren't that bad individually, it's collectively that there's not enough
happening. The defence is creaking - Steve Davis had a poor game for once - because of the
pressure being put on in through midfield. I think we need two more midfield players, but
definitely at least one and a powerful centre forward to re-start the season. Am I alone
in this view?
Team:
Michopoulos, Thomas, Davis, Cox, Smith, Weller, Cook (Johnrose 64), Mellon (Payton 51),
Branch (Little 51), Mullin, Moore. Subs not used: Crichton and Jepson.
Scorers:
Moore (45), Johnrose (90) / Hodges (2), Ipoua (47)
Crowd: A
disappointing 8,054.
Referee: G
Frankland of TV Middlesbrough.
Becko's Man of the
Match: John Mullin.
London Clarets Man
of the Match: Ian Cox.
The away game
