In Sweden, the football pools are a little different. There are 13 games on the coupon and you have to predict whether they’ll end in a home win, draw or away win. As the end of the Swedish season beckons and most games are either played on a Sunday or Monday, the powers-that-be put mostly English games on the list. Because the cable channel owns the rights to Premiership matches, the game on the terrestrial channel is almost always from Division 1 and often there is a Swedish link there somewhere. Last season, for example, Coventry featured prominently, because Magnus Hedman played in goal and Roland Nilsson was the manager.
In the Saturday morning paper, you can read how the betting is going on each match. Only ten per cent of Swedes thought Everton were going to beat the Arse and only nine per cent thought the Clarets were going to overcome Leicester. By the end of the day, someone made quite a lot of money!
Burnley were featured three times last season in live games – one impressive win against Cov (2-0), a boring 0-0 affair with Wombledon, and our customary drubbing by Wolves (2-3). This kind of mirrored our season – starting in heaven, going into limbo and ending up in oblivion.
The TV company chose to kick off their season of live matches at the new Walkers Stadium, the somewhat tenuous link this time being the former Swedish international and Leicester left back, Pontus Kåmark (who he, ed?), who was drafted in for the day as expert commentator. His first words were: “I’ll try to be as objective as possible.”! Well, Pontus, objectively speaking, Leicester were crap and we were brilliant.
Indeed, this game was reminiscent of the Coventry game last season in many ways. It took place at the same time of the year, in the middle of a good Clarets run and was against a newly relegated Midlands side. Though, on the whole, this was an even greater scalp. Leicester are high-flyers in this division and going into this game had a home record of won 6, drawn 0, lost 0; goals for 14, goals against 2.
Now to the game. Burnley lined up with Beresford, a back four of West, Cox, Gnohere and Branch, a three-man midfield of Little, Davis and Briscoe, and a three-pronged attack of Taylor, Moore I and Blake.
The first half got underway with Deane almost scoring in the first minute with a shot that flashed past Marlon’s left-hand post. The game settled down into a rather drab affair with the sides cancelling each other out, swapping a few corners, free kicks and yellow cards. For Leicester, Sinclair was playing well down the right and Dickov was looking sharp up front. The able pairing of Cox and Arthur and the evermore dependable Branchy were coping well, however. Up front, Taylor, still radiant after his 30-second contribution to the defeat of Italy on Wednesday night, was giving Taggart loads of problems in the air. Mooro was running his heart out as usual but Blake was surprisingly subdued in the first 45. Marlon was calmness personified as usual, dealing easily with a shot from Dickov and doing well to hold on to a powerful free kick on 25 minutes, which nearly knocked him backwards into the goal. At the other end, Taylor won a couple of free kicks in useful positions but they were fired straight at the wall and Blake fired over after good work by West on 32 minutes. The half ended with Leicester applying pressure though not looking as if they would score. Half-time: and a creditable performance so far by the Clarets, particularly in defence.
The second half was a different story. Blake came out firing on all cylinders and went on a good run into the penalty area almost immediately. Scowcroft went close for the Foxes with a header before the game exploded into life in the 50th minute. With the Burnley defence looking suspect for once, Dickov got in a good shot which was well saved by Marlon but the ball broke to Deane who slotted it home. Offside, thank God! Cue debate by Swedish commentators as to whether he was offside when Dickov shot. He was certainly offside seconds before but whether he was at that time interfering with play is perhaps debatable – though he did go on to put the ball in the back of the net which sounds a bit like interference to me! Not to be outdone, Burnley then mounted a useful attack and after good work forced successive corners. For once, the second one was well struck and it found Davis who headed it across to Arthur who in turn headed it towards goal where it would have fallen harmlessly into the arms of Walker (the goalie, not the stadium!) had Mooro not popped up and headed it into the corner. 1-0!
At this point, having taken the lead, Burnley normally retreat into their own six-yard box and kick the ball away but this time it was different. The team kept its shape well and apart from some nervous moments in defence, they kept their calm and played some good stuff. The game was getting pretty exciting by this stage with Leicester piling on the pressure and Burnley hitting them well on the break. West’s poor clearance let in Dickov for an equaliser on 63 minutes but his shot was brilliantly saved by Marlon – as we have of course come to expect of him! Touted as one of the best keepers in the division, his closest competitor is probably Walker, who was forced into making some great saves himself from Little, Taylor and then Briscoe. Briscoe’s shot was nearly forced in by Taylor but it cannoned back off the post into the keeper’s arms. Burnley had several chances to wrap the game up and because we didn’t, one felt that it was only a matter of time before Leicester would get an equaliser they quite honestly barely deserved. But no! This team is made of sterner stuff and Marlon was not really troubled much in the last 20 minutes, and after 4 minutes of added time Burnley made history by becoming the first away side to win at the salt ‘n vinegar stadium. An impressive achievement.
So, where to now? This is the beginning of a tough run for the Clarets with a tricky away tie at another relegated side hungry for points in midweek and then the big one against Pompey on Saturday. In many ways, this season is better than the last. The expectations are not quite so high when you start so badly. All credit to the team and “the gaffer” for turning what looked like a shocker of a season to yet another one of play-off possibilities. Perhaps Stan should put his seat up for auction every time – hundred per cent record so far with him sitting in the stand! I thought the new manager did well, though I would have substituted Glen a little earlier!
Stan keeps saying there’s more to come from this side, and I believe him, but there’s a few things need to happen before this potential can be realised. Firstly, we need to stop getting booked for rash challenges and not get frustrated. Little especially was guilty of this when he was shown yellow in the second half. Our squad is small and we can do without needless suspensions – one of the reasons we started the season so badly in the first place. Secondly, we need to practise dead-ball situations. Our free kicks, and we had a couple of useful positions especially in the first half, were pathetic, the ball being blasted straight at the wall. Our corners are not that good, either. Perhaps Sakiri (Seaman’s grim reaper) can give our guys a crash course in how to take them! Surely, this kind of thing can be practised in training. We seem completely bereft of ideas in that department in any case. We also need Glen to show some more form. He’s always looked slow but has been quick to bamboozle opponents. Now, not only does he look slow, he is slow and gets caught in possession too easily.
Don’t want to end on a low, though. Without question, this was a great performance, particularly defensively, and I struggled to find any weak link in the side at all. And a word for the supporters, too. You could be heard all the way to Scandinavia!
Subs not used: Cook, Maylett.
Booked: Gnohere, Little, Davis.
Subs not used: Heath, Reeves.
Booked: Taggart, McKinlay, Dickov.
Attendance: 26,254.
