Revenge
Burnley 1 Wimbledon 0, Saturday 19 August 2000
Report by Hego
First home game of the season, warm August
afternoon, and the hills looking at their very best from the Upper Hargreaves Harry Potts
Longside stand. Also first ‘season ticket’ match for 34 years, so didn’t
quite understand why this was match 4! Some security measure apparently. If the pitch
hadn’t exhibited a strangely mottled hue, all would have been perfect. Junior Hego,
who knows all about green fingered things, reckoned inadequate spreading of fertiliser was
to blame. Fireworks to boot, although this didn’t seem to quite go to plan. Whatever
happened to the dancing dogs?
The new match program, with contributions from
Dave Burnley and Alastair Campbell, no less, had billed this as a revenge for the
humiliating defeat aeons ago, when we were really good. Well maybe, but it seems so long
ago. Plenty of Moorhouses Black Cat Mild has been quaffed since then. Belated
congratulations to these excellent Burnley based brewers on their gold medal success with
this beer at the National CAMRA Beer Festival. The Coat of Destiny also appeared in the
program, with pictures of Barry Kilby trying to retrieve the baby llama skin from Firmo at
Bolton. Shame about the webmeister’s uncovered legs.
The sides of the ground seemed to me to have a
few more than the official 15,000 in it to supplement the pathetic 124 away support. I
seem to have questioned official crowd figures a few times over the years. Flag at
half-mast, presumably for Uncle Jack but thankfully no minute's silence, as I could not
see how that could possibly have been observed at the Turf. Claret team as expected, with
Gray fit and Payton on the bench. Wombles pretty much anonymous except for Ardley, Gayle
and Michael Thomas. I was looking forward to seeing Hartson against Mitchell Thomas, but
the big bad boy was still serving a suspension from last season. Would have been some
battle.
Tentative start from both sides, with the
Wombles passing the ball well without any real penetration, and the Clarets getting in to
their stride. Leaburn left the game early after a clash with Admirable, which was a shame,
as he really is a donkey, and is no threat. Ardley looked the pick of their side
throughout the game. After the first quarter Little and Weller began to probe, and make
Kimble look uncertain. A Steve Davis header in the 18th minute from a Cook /
Weller free kick was well saved. Then from one of these right side forays in the 22nd
minute, a cross in to the box lead to great confusion between the keeper Davis and his
defence and left Gray on the floor leading to a huge shout for a penalty, which the man in
black dutifully ignored.
Admirable then decided it was time for his usual
party trick by sprinting well out of his goal, before hammering the ball into Gayle’s
backside, with the consequent rebound bouncing fortunately into touch. Believe somebody
behind me muttered something that sounded like ‘prat’. Assuming that he does now
practice kicking; if so he must have been pretty bad at it before. There were a few
occasions in the game where he charged out of his goal without an appropriate call, which
definitely perplexed the back three. Still some concern there.
Then came the turning point of the match in the
27th minute. Gray released Weller at the half way line with a good flick
header, who then just beat Kimble’s diving lunge to the ball, and sprinted directly
to the box in acres of space. He drew Williams towards him before the expected pass inside
to Cooke. Instead he smashed it in to the roof of the net with Davis helpless. A goal in
his first league appearance at the Turf in a very long time. Towards half time another
Weller excellent piece of play released Little, who crossed to Cookey at the back post. He
headed down to Cook, who unleashed a fierce left footer in to the corner of the net.
Offside, not sure who! Briscoe and Little then went close with half chances. Half-time.
Pie. Used ale repository. Read programme.
Second half very much like the first: decent
passing by the Wombles with no punch. Real commitment from the Clarets, particularly Ball
who patrolled the area in front of the back three with murderous efficiency. Lee Briscoe
hit the inside of the far post with a speculative cross from the left, with Kelvin Davis
helpless. The substitutions brought much applause, particularly the Padiham Predator, but
little further in chances. Robinson then became the only booking of the game for a nasty
challenge. Wombles' only shot on goal in the whole game came in the 77th minute
from Francis, who brought a smart save from Admirable, and their only real chance of a
goal.
All told a comfortable win against a team
without any real punch, but who are favoured to be in the shake-up at the end of the
season. Having said at the start of the campaign that four points from the first three
games would be a real result, am pretty pleased. The back three were immense, and the
right side of midfield a pleasure to watch. Positive vibes.
Team (3-5-2): Admirable,
The Legend, Thomas, Cox, Weller, Little (Mullin 72), Ball, Cook, Briscoe, Cooke (Payton
81), Gray (Branch 57). Subs not used: Jepson and Mellon.
Scorer: Weller
(27).
Attendance:
15,124.
Referee: S
Baines.
London Clarets Man
of the Match: Paul Weller.
The away game
