Will the real Graham Branch please stand up!
Burnley 1 Rotherham United 1
Report by Julian Booth
As this testing season of ours continues, matches come along that you just have to win; and this, I felt, was one of those occasions. We could go on and on about how unfortunate Burnley were as a club to lose all that cash, but there are plenty of other teams who are in the same boat and have squads as threadbare as the Clarets. It is time to just knuckle down and get behind the team, and for players to show us how much this means to them. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and for players to step forward and try their best to simply do a job for the team.
One of the most unlikely names on the teamsheet for today's encounter was that of Del Branchio, playing up front alongside the striker Ian Moore. This judgment was a brave one, but that is what Stan chose to do. There were a few raised eyebrows around the Turf, and lots of discussions as to the current state of our side - had things really reached rock bottom? It was a decision that I thought was very daring, if somewhat foolhardy; but that's what the manager is paid to do, and we have to respect that. After the recent run of bad results, and a spell of no wins in seven games, anything was worth a try against a team that was a mere four points behind us. This, we all hoped, could be the start of a good run of form - and a precious three points that could pull us away from the bottom of the table, which seemed to be dragging us down.
To play Branch in this position was something I would never have thought of, especially with Facey on the bench. We can only presume that Facey does not have ninety minutes in those Premiership legs of his. He had recently made a claim to the papers that he is just desperate to play - does Stan have no faith in our once hat trick-scoring hero? Correct me if I am wrong, but I was not aware that Branch
was a striker. An attacking winger, perhaps, but to lead that line - this was obviously beyond his capabilities. This must send the word out to our Board that a striker is an urgent addition we need to make to our squad. That is perhaps something we just don't have the
finances to fund. We could go on, as a defender is also required after the loss of Todd and the imminent ban looming over Arthur's head. This is a never-ending problem, and one that Burnley just have to play through and hope we can survive. A return to the Second Division
is unthinkable, and something I will just not consider whilst the mathematics say we can survive.
This game was not the greatest advert for First Division football; both sides started tentatively in a cagey game where no-one was taking any chances. Mistakes and missed passes seemed the order of the day. Burnley did enjoy the majority of the play, but time after time the final ball went astray or the move broke down with a careless pass. The Beast was the first keeper called into action, when he comfortably saved a Byfield shot from the edge of the box. The majority of the chances in the opening period fell to the home side, but none really had us jumping out of our seats. They ranged from Blake's shot, bringing a smart save from Montgomery; David May looping a header on the safety of the roof of the net; and a weak effort from Grant (no surprise there).
The chance of a goal from either side seemed a dream, and it was obvious why both teams were placed in the lower reaches of the table. It's a frustrating job following the Clarets most seasons, but this side really does try your patience sometimes! There is the encouragement of quick, accurate build-up play... that suddenly goes pear-shaped with the stupidest schoolboy error we never made in our playing days. Then, just like that, out of the blue, a little piece of sublime skill restores your belief, and the world's all right again. The ball is played in to Blake on the edge of the area, and he starts to run away from the goal. No challenges are forthcoming, so he hits a strike at goal. Why not? It looks a harmless shot, one the keeper will easily gather; but suddenly the net bulges - and it's a GOAL!!!! Was it the keeper's mistake? Did he not see it coming, or did he have blind faith in his defenders to put a tackle in? Who cares! The shot slid along the turf and sped right into the bottom corner - a precision strike, I thought, as I leapt ten feet into the air. It also ended a terrible goalless run of games for Blake, nine in total, and restored some confidence in the Burnley ranks.
The remainder of the first half was played out fairly comfortably, with no threats to our slender lead.
As the team ran out for the second period, we all had a little bit of belief (not too much, though). It was important that the Clarets made a confident start and gained control of the game - the next goal was crucial. It was important we got that second goal to lift all our hopes of collecting a valuable three points.
What hope we may have had was dashed on the rocks only minutes into the second half. A glorious chance was worked for Ian Moore to give us a bit of breathing space, some relief from the pressure that gripped us all. His shot looked for a brief second to be heading for the safety of the bottom corner of the Rotherham net; however, a smart save by Montgomery and the wasting of the rebound ruined all that. The alert Rotherham defence cleared the ball, and worked it away from the danger area. The ball was immediately up the other end of the pitch, and a defensive hesitation let in that prolific striker, John Mullin.
Now, I say "prolific", and you cry, "Well, he only scored three goals last season, and that's his first this year!". Yes, you are right: but how many came against us? The answer, for all you Stattos out there, is a staggering 75 percent. Now, to me, that's prolific. Don't you agree?!
The ball was whipped into the box by Robinson, and found its way to the feet of Mullin, who cleverly worked an opening to slot the ball under the frame of the diving Beast. This was a hammer blow to the home side, and we never really looked capable of hitting back. After the equaliser, you just hoped we'd be able to at least hold on to the point, and to be honest this was never seriously a problem. Rotherham looked happy with a point, and even though both sides had chances in the closing stages, no goal looked on the cards.
The decision to play Branch up front was a strange idea, and one that really did not work. He was able to win the ball in the air for most of the game, but his knockdowns were not accurate enough for his strike partner Moore to anticipate. This tactic is a desperation one for a game when we are one-nil down with ten minutes to go and the long ball up front is our best hope. It cannot be a position Branch has played a lot recently, and at times he did look very lost and unsure what to do. I must give the man credit, though: he ran himself into the ground, and cannot be faulted for the effort he put in. He was an example to the rest of the team for his energy, but not sadly for his execution. It is a decision that did not work, and may have ultimately cost us two points against a fellow relegation candidate. Stan is obviously trying every tactic in the book to get us points - and with the squad he has, the man is not doing too bad a job. We all knew that this season would be a long and testing one, and nothing I have seen so far lets me think it will be easy. There is, however, resilience within the Burnley side, which I hope and pray will be enough to salvage our First Division survival.
At the end of the day, it's a point - and one that we desperately need at the moment. Whatever disappointment and 'what ifs' we may have need to be forgotten, and negative thoughts turned around. The crowd left with heads hanging low, as all (including me) saw two points dropped, but it's not over by a long way yet. Let's look forward to our next game, and hope we can turn it around for those precious three points.
Burnley: Jensen, West, May, Gnohere, Camara, Little, Branch, Grant, Chaplow, Ian Moore (Facey, 55), Blake.
Subs not used: Roche, Weller, McGregor, O'Neill.
Rotherham: Montgomery, Shaun Barker, Hurst, Swailes, McIntosh, Sedgwick, Robinson, Mullin, Warne, Byfield, Richard Barker.
Subs not used: Monkhouse, Robins, Hoskins, Minto, Mudd.
Scorers: (Burnley) Blake 35 / (Rotherham) Mullin 51.
Referee: C Oliver (Ashington).
Attendance: 12,928.
Julian's Man of the Match: "Well, it has to be Arthur, as yet again he provided an element of stability at the back. His defending is back to the 'King Arthur' standards."
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.
