Weller on song as Branch twigs
Burnley 2 MK Franchise Dons 0
Report by Cozzo
This is supposed to be a match report about the game against Franchise, but to be perfectly honest there's not a lot to say. Before the game it was the biggest game of the season. A must-win game that would take us from one goal above relegation to three points and three places above.
Despite all the incentives given by the Club - £10 a ticket and season ticket holders to bring a friend - the crowd was disappointingly low and not very vocal. It wasn't helped by the unsurprisingly low turnout from the Franchise fans. Someone who shall remain nameless claims to have counted 29 of them. That's how exciting the game was at times. The official figure was 55, but that presumably includes the freebies.
Branch started up front in the absence of Ian Moore. That at least gave the Beast another option to kick the ball to apart from Glen. Weller was on the left; Johnrose and Chaplow in the centre; and the rest of the team as per usual, with Grant now sidelined for the rest of the season.
Initially, the Clarets started a little slowly, but quickly gained momentum. Chaplow and Johnrose hustled, harried and generally dominated the midfield. Little and Blake caused problems, but tended to over-elaborate, whilst McGregor and May looked calm and assured at the back. Branch was winning more than his fair share in the air, but the best player on the pitch - and our most potent attacking force - was Paul Weller.
Yet another player who has recently been slated and labelled ‘not good enough’. Anybody who saw this performance, and the subsequent one against Derby, should know that a fully fit (and therein lies the key) Paul Weller is a tremendous asset to the side. The only thing lacking was the end product: a shot or a header on goal. Time and again the ball didn't drop for a Claret, and the Franchise defence hacked it clear.
Strangely, the nearest we came to seeing a goal was at the other end, when Franchise made a rare foray forward. Jensen made an excellent save, diving low to his left to tip a shot from outside the box onto the post. Although the defence had been slow to shut down the Franchise player, McGregor was alert enough to be on hand to clear the rebound. The scare galvanised Burnley still further, and another good move down the left resulted in a cross from Weller drifting beyond the far post to Glen, who hooked it back in first time. Branch rose at the far post and headed the ball in from close range. The relief around the ground was palpable as thousands of Clarets breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Still Blake and Little were over-elaborating, and still the Franchise keeper hadn't had a shot to save. Although we were looking comfortable, and having the vast majority of the play, that second goal would really put the Clarets in control. The first half was drifting into injury time when Branch flicked on a Jensen clearance. As Blake put one of the Franchise defenders (with an unpronounceable name) under a bit of pressure, he kindly headed it past his advancing keeper and could only watch as it rolled into the empty net. The lack of communication was understandable, given that the keeper had been recalled from a loan spell to make his debut.
The second half was a total non-event. Burnley were content to hold what they had, and took few risks, but this did allow Franchise more possession. The fact that they failed to make any headway was down to some resolute defending. May was always in control, and Franchise resorted to long-range shots into the upper tier of the Jimmy Mac. Weller and Chaplow both departed early, but it made little difference. In the end, the final whistle came as a relief. Far from being a great performance, it was a necessary result. One shot on target, and a 2-0 win. Thank you very much, and good night.
I can't leave this report without a mention of the Player of the Year awards. Over the last few years they have become a shameful performance. The players have turned up at the last minute, and huddled round a couple of tables in the centre of the room whilst Mick Docherty rattles through all the player sponsorship and awards in less than 45 minutes. Then, as soon as it has finished they are all gone, apart from those who have won awards and have press interviews to do.
This year, the Supporters' Groups came up with the idea of a different format, which would have meant the players staying longer. In a meeting with Dave Edmundson, we said that if it remained the same we would not be willing to take part. He wholeheartedly agreed with the proposals, and said that we should leave it with him to make the arrangements. A date was set for the 10th May, and a proposal put that Kevin Ball was invited along.
The Club has now announced that the event has been cancelled, although there seem to be conflicting reports as to whether the Sponsorship evening will still go ahead on the same night. No reason is forthcoming, although everybody knows it is because one person was happy with the format the way it was - and as he takes total responsibility for the players, that is the end of the story. At a time when the Club needs to pull out all the stops on the PR front in the community, this is a shambles. The players are the greatest assets of the Club - and yet they are not allowed to do anything to promote it.
As supporters, we have been doing our bit during a difficult season, through fundraising and attending games, and this was supposed to be the opportunity for the players and management to show their gratitude to us for our efforts. I could say a lot more, but one thing I do know is that it will look bad on the Club when this comes out, yet no-one will be pointing the finger at the person responsible.
Burnley: Jensen, Roche, Branch, May, Camara, Little, Chaplow (Pilkington, 77), Weller (Alan Moore, 60),Johnrose, Blake (Chadwick, 82), McGregor.
Subs not used: Adebola, Abbey.
Scorers: (Burnley) Branch 26, Ntimban-Zeh 45 (og).
Referee: G Cain (Bootle).
Attendance: 13,555.
Cozzo's Man of the Match: A tough decision. May was excellent, especially in the second half. Chaplow and Branch both played well; but for his first half performance alone: stand up, Paul Weller. Back to his best, and long may it continue.
As with all articles on the site, the views expressed in the match reports section are those of the individual contributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Burnley FC London Supporters' Club.
