Well, what a strange feeling it was.
Travelling to watch the Clarets’ opening fixture on a Sunday afternoon when everyone
else had played 24 hours earlier. Instead of going to a game as usual, my Saturday
afternoon had consisted of mowing the lawn, cleaning the windows and doing some shopping
(aargh!). More to the point, not a beer in sight. There are some traditions in football
that should never change – indeed, should be sacrosanct – and the opening day
fixture is (in my opinion) one of them. After spending a good deal of the summer waiting
for the season to start, it was with a sense of anti-climax that I watched the results
coming in on Saturday afternoon. I suppose that’s what happens when you hold out your
hand and accept the TV shilling – your paymaster calls the shots.
The moving of the fixture to a Sunday was only part of the problem. The
diabolical 6.15 kick-off meant that long distance travellers such as ourselves had little
choice but to go by car. Not ideal. However, we made reasonably good time into Sheffield,
despite the obligatory jam on the M1, and even had time to catch up on the beer count!
On arriving at the ground I remembered that Hillsborough was a place where
the Clarets hadn’t exactly prospered over the years – our last win coming nearly
30 years ago. After our very poor performance there last March, the omens didn’t
exactly seem good.
Still, despite the doubts my spirits still rose as the players took to the
pitch. With Branch injured, Ball suspended and Weller seemingly having made a central
midfield berth his own, it was always fairly likely we would adopt a 4-4-2 formation. Stan
duly obliged, and Burnley lined up as follows:
Michopoulos
West Davis Cox Armstrong
Little Weller Cook Briscoe
Taylor I Moore
Subs: Cennamo, Gnohere, A Moore, Ellis,
Payton.
As far as I could tell (it being virtually impossible to discern the squad
numbers on their shirts), the Wednesday starting line-up was as follows:
Stringer, Hendon, Geary, Maddix, Solvedt, Bromby, Quinn, Haslam,
McLaren, Sibon, Ekoku.
Subs: Pressman, Westwood, Morrison, Lescott, Di Piedi.
A couple of things struck me about the Wednesday team. Firstly, how few of
their one-time Premiership players remained (not even Des Walker – perhaps a good
thing, as he had turned in two terrific performances against us last season). Secondly,
how few of the current team I had heard of. Perhaps cause for a little optimism?
The game kicked off and those feelings of optimism died almost immediately
when with barely a minute on the clock, a useful free kick into our penalty area seemed to
catch us off guard. Danny Maddix had a clear header at goal; the ball hit the post but
another Wednesday player put the rebound into the net. It wasn’t until NTG placed the
ball down for a free kick that I realised the referee had disallowed the goal. (I later
found out that it was for a push on a Clarets defender.)
I hoped the shock would galvanise Davis and troops. However, Wednesday
continued to get the better of the early exchanges, overrunning our midfield due to their
numerical superiority (having only Ekoku as an out-and-out striker) and looking relatively
sharper all over the pitch. There were some chances for both sides – Solvedt went
close and Taylor had a couple of decent chances, heading wide and then striking the
outside of the post when well placed to score. From Burnley’s perspective though, the
quality in the final third was somewhat lacking, with Little struggling to find the time
and space to make his usual telling contribution. Even switching flanks didn’t really
have the desired effect. As half time approached, it seemed to be heading for stalemate.
Perhaps just what ITV Digital deserved! Irritatingly, the referee had proved to be very
fussy (and a homer to boot) and both Briscoe and West had picked up soft bookings.
Half time: Sheffield Wednesday 0 Burnley 0
The highlight of my visit to Hillsborough so far was the half-time balti
pie. We can only hope that the fare served at the Turf this season will be of a similarly
high standard!
The second half began in the same vein as the first half had ended, with
both sides’ build-up play petering out in the final third. Then, on 57 minutes, the
game changed with the Clarets unexpectedly taking the lead! A deft back-heel from Ian
Moore found Armstrong in space on the left of the Owls’ penalty area.
Armstrong’s measured cross found Taylor, who timed his leap to perfection and
produced a superb header just inside Stringer’s right-hand post.
Almost immediately, Wednesday replaced Quinn with Di Piedi in a (somewhat
belated) endeavour to beef up their forward line. Still they couldn’t threaten our
goal, though, with Davis and Cox marshalling the defence superbly. Indeed, the next chance
fell to us, with ex-Owl Briscoe turning his defender and shooting low and hard, bringing a
good save from Stringer. Weller was then booked, and replaced shortly afterwards by Alan
Moore. Within a couple of minutes Moore himself was booked (for something seen only by the
referee).
With Wednesday chasing the game, Little was able to find more time and
space and so was proving more of a threat. It was his delivery from a 70th-minute
corner that found Armstrong unmarked and only a few yards from goal. Unfortunately, his
glancing header was off target.
As a shot from Sibon just went wide of NTG’s right-hand post, I began
to get the usual jitters that accompany a one goal lead. I needn’t have worried,
though, as on 76 minutes we secured the points. Little’s mazy run into the box was
brought to an abrupt end by Sibon’s crude challenge. Paul Cook stepped up to take the
penalty and I noticed the referee warning the Wednesday defenders not to encroach.
Luckily, this was a warning they did not heed, as although Cook’s penalty was well
saved by Stringer, the referee ordered it to be retaken. Cook made no mistake at the
second attempt, lifting the ball high to the keeper’s right.
Unfortunately, the goal heralded the arrival onto the pitch of some
idiots, one of whom aimed a punch at Cook. With the police and stewards nowhere to be
seen, it was left to Stan to intervene (as Cook said afterwards, what if the man had been
carrying a knife?). Eventually however the individuals were removed from the pitch, and
the game resumed.
Wednesday threatened briefly, Di Piedi having a couple of chances –
most notably a chip from the edge of the area that momentarily looked as if it would sneak
under the crossbar. But the Clarets were happy to sit back and play out the remaining
minutes, bringing on Ellis and then Payton to further use up the remaining time.
So, three points and a job well done. There were no bad performances, and
the absence of key players like Ball and Thomas only served to illustrate the improved
depth of the squad. Hopefully we will be able to continue the momentum shown towards the
end of last season – and who knows, perhaps even go one better this time around.
The combination of victory and beer made the long journey home seem much
shorter. We even found time for a celebratory Chupa Chup lolly each, courtesy of Firmo.
However arriving home in the small hours, and with tiredness overtaking the euphoria of
winning, I cursed the TV planners. 6.15 stinks!
Owls
get both barrels in Glorious opener