A Bank Holiday, a pathetic train service
and an inexplicable 1pm kick-off meant that the only mode of transport for the journey to
the Turf had to be car. Unfortunately, what that meant was sobriety on both New
Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – a state not always suitable for watching
Burnley games – and a ridiculously early start. At least the roads were free from
snow and eerily quiet (apart from lots of solitary Magpies) so we made good time and,
after a short visit to the pub, we took up our seats on the Longside.
Mitchell Thomas was Captain in the absence of the
suspended Steve Davis and we adopted the same attacking 4-3-3 formation that should have
brought some dividends at Oakwell on Boxing Day:
Branch Payton Moore
Johnrose Mellon Weller
Smith Armstrong Cox Thomas
Michopoulos
Subs: Crichton, Jepson, Mullin, Maylett, Brass
The Wolves team was Oakes, Muscat, Naylor, Robinson,
Pollet, M. Branch, Ndah, Lescott, Andrews, Dinning, Proudlock. They also adopted the 4-3-3
formation and so an entertaining game lay in prospect.
Cook and Ball were suspended (and would be missed), but
another recent absentee, namely Glen Little, didn’t even make the bench. It has to be
hoped that Glen can get over his injury problems, whether they are physical or
psychological, sooner rather than later.
We kicked off and started brightly, dominating early
possession and after nine minutes took a deserved lead with a neat move. A throw-in on the
right found Moore, who held the ball up well and fed it into Weller’s path as he ran
into the area. Weller then drew his defender and passed the ball across the area to Branch
who, unmarked and only 15 yards out, took one touch and blasted the ball high into the net
giving Oakes no chance. We continued to dominate. Johnrose had a half-decent opportunity
and Mellon had his usual two or three poor shots which were only dangerous if you were
seated high in the Jimmy McIlroy Stand. Ian Moore was again looking dangerous with his
pace and astute positioning. Paul Smith and Paul Weller were both looking good when
running with the ball but less so when having to defend. In fact, Smith was having a
difficult time against Michael Branch (Graham’s cousin) who found it all too easy to
skip past him to deliver dangerous crosses into the box. John Ward’s inside knowledge
was obviously proving useful.
The game gradually settled down, with Wolves coming
more into it, and after 28 minutes they got their equaliser. Oakes had taken a speculative
cross from Branch and released it quickly to their left wing finding two players unmarked
with Weller out of position upfield. As Thomas closed in, Ndah was released behind him and
crossed for Proudlock to slot home, even though both Armstrong and Cox were in fairly
close attendance.
This goal seemed to sap some of our resolve and
confidence. After 35 minutes, only some excellent goalkeeping from Michopoulos kept the
scores level. Proudlock and Ndah were allowed to run into the area untracked, and the
former found the latter with a simple pass and the goal beckoning only for Michopoulos to
dive at his feet and make a terrific point-blank save. Shortly after this, Andrews was
allowed time and space at the edge of the area to shoot, but could only produce a tame
effort that went harmlessly wide. As half time approached, a dubious free kick was awarded
against Smith for a foul on Branch and, again, Michopoulos had to produce a good save in
tipping Naylor’s swerving shot over the bar. From the resultant corner, Ndah climbed
above everyone else and headed firmly goalwards only to be denied by yet another excellent
save from Michopoulos. The half time whistle didn’t arrive a minute too soon.
Half time: Burnley 1 Wolves 1
The second half started scrappily with the only
meaningful play coming from Paul Smith, who took on and beat two Wolves defenders before
delivering a cross which was too close to Oakes. After 53 minutes, we got a free kick on
the edge of the area, which Paul Smith took, producing a good save from Oakes. (At last, a
Burnley free kick which caused the opposition keeper problems!)
Payton was then replaced by Brad Maylett after another
disappointing performance. Apparently, he has a hamstring strain but had done very little
before being substituted. It’s sad to see Payton struggle with his form, but it has
to be said that the quality of service he has been receiving lately is not of a high
enough standard or of the type on which he thrives. The return of a fully-fit Glen Little
will hopefully remedy that part of the problem.
On 56 minutes, we had a penalty appeal waved away after
Moore’s volley hit Muscat’s arm, but Moore then had a much easier chance to put
us ahead. Mitchell ‘Tireless’ Thomas received the ball from Maylett on the wing
and, after cheekily fooling and then going past a Wolves defender, produced a delicate
chipped cross which found Moore six yards out and unmarked. Unfortunately, he didn’t
really get off the ground and got slightly underneath his header causing the ball to float
over the bar. We continued to dominate but Michael Branch ensured that Wolves had a
dangerous outlet.
On 66 minutes a good passing move saw us turn defence
into attack. Maylett received the ball near his own area after a Wolves attack broke down.
He found Weller whose first-time pass reached Moore close to the halfway line. Moore, with
his back to goal and a defender in close attendance, held the ball up momentarily before
releasing it back into Weller’s path. As the midfield opened up, Weller raced
goalwards, but a lack of support at the crucial moment allowed Wolves to regroup enough so
that Weller could only pick out Branch on the edge of the area. His shot was comfortably
saved by Oakes, resulting in a corner which came to nothing.
Shortly after, Maylett won another corner after good
work down the right. Smith took it and delivered an inswinging cross, which found
Armstrong rising above everybody else at the far post. His header looked goal-bound, but
was blocked by the back of a Wolves defender before going out for another corner.
On 76 minutes Moore was substituted for Mullin – a
decision which raised a few jeers from the increasingly restless Burnley fans. Unless he
was injured, this seemed a strange move. We were creating chances, Wolves looked ready for
the taking, but we take off our only out-and-out striker and replace him with an
occasional striker.
Another good chance came and went. Thomas produced a
good ball over the top, which found Maylett with time and space in the Wolves penalty
area, only for him to snatch at the ball. The end result looked like neither a shot nor a
cross and the ball went well wide of the goal.
On 85 minutes, our fate was sealed. Michael Branch
again got the better of Paul Smith on the Burnley left and, for the umpteenth time, Smith
conceded a free kick in a dangerous position. Naylor drove the ball into the area and
Robinson was allowed to run across the area unmarked. As he went to head the ball, he
completely missed it but Michopoulos was naturally distracted and the ball went past him
and into the net. A soft goal if ever there was one and echoes of Barnsley all over again.
At this point, Ternent brought on Ronnie Jepson, a
decision which was accompanied by a crescendo of boos from fans later described by Stan as
‘morons’. Personally, I try never to boo a player or a manager’s decision
during a game for the simple reason that it’s not going to help. If I felt strongly
enough I would boo after the final whistle. But that’s just my opinion. Equally, Stan
could have been a little more diplomatic.
Anyway, for the record, it made little difference. The
last few minutes saw us rarely threaten the Wolves goal and that, as they say, was that. A
fifth defeat in a row with Fortress Turf Moor looking about as impregnable as the Alamo.
Defeats against Preston, Bastards and Bolton are hard
enough to take, but at least they were against form teams. The last two against Barnsley
and Wolves are games we simply should not have lost and in each, a mixture of defensive
errors and attacking profligacy has cost us dear. Hopefully, with the visit of Third
Division Scunthorpe on Saturday, we can arrest this decline and get back to winning ways.
As an aside, I couldn’t remember the last time
we’d lost five games in a row, so I thought I’d find out. It turned out to be
during the 1994/95 season (the last time we were in Division 1) when we lost six in a row
including an away FA Cup replay defeat at Anfield. I hope – and believe – that
this will prove to be nothing more than an interesting and irrelevant statistic rather
than a portent of doom, but it’s difficult not to feel a little uneasy at the moment.
Looking on the bright side (OK – so I’m an
optimist), we’re still in the top half of the table and, currently, well clear of any
relegation worries. I’m sure most of us would have settled for 38 points from 25
games before the season kicked off. Let’s just hope that we get to 52 points sooner
rather than later...
