Pointing to survival
Wigan 0 Burnley 0
Report by Pauline Pratley
If you'd told me in December that Burnley would go the whole of January unbeaten, I would have laughed. Actually, I'd probably have collapsed in fits of uncontrollable mirth (possibly interspersed with semi-hysterical tears). However, that's just what the Clarets did. Starting with Mansfield away in the FA Cup, and finishing with Wigan away in the League. Blimey.
Despite our good start to the year, I was fairly certain that we'd leave the JJB Stadium with nothing. To quote Becko, anything there would be a bonus. Not the most appetising of fixtures, then, but I was short on games and desperate to see Burnley play.
Getting to the JJB is a nightmare. Of course, it shouldn't be - but our pathetic public transport system makes it so. It's all very well to encourage people to 'let the train take the strain', but that will never happen until we get a cohesive and affordable alternative to the private car. I know I'm getting sidetracked, but take this as an example. If I drive to a home game, I can leave home (Essex) at eight and be in Burnley at twelve-thirty. Similarly, I'll be back home by ten. If I take the train, I will get up at four-thirty and get home around one. Despite this, Patrick and I do usually travel by train. That's because we enjoy the company of our fellow London Clarets, and Paddy enjoys a drink. But for someone like me, who has a short attention span and a dodgy stomach, long train journeys are hell.
Anyway, I'd stocked up with tea and computer magazines beforehand, so managed to survive the inevitable delays (this time due to 'a tree near the line'). We arrived in Wigan much later than planned, having missed our intended connection, and so with limited time to get fed and watered and to the ground. Worse, it was absolutely bucketing down. And then... there was a rumour that there was to be a pitch inspection. Great. All we needed was to slog all the way up to Wigan only to turn round and go home again.
We decided to stay in the pub until we knew if the game was on or not, but there were so many conflicting pieces of information (the game was definitely on; it was definitely off; there was a pitch inspection; there was no pitch inspection) that it was impossible to know what was happening. In the end, we braved the wind and rain and set off to the ground (though we did cheat a bit, taking a taxi for part of the journey!).
Our arrival in the away end was delayed due to the usual over-zealous policing. As we approached the ground, a friendly Wigan fan told me not to bother trying to go over the footbridge to the away end - the obvious and direct route - as the stewards would turn us back. We therefore had time to make the required detour through the car park, and got into the ground shortly before kick-off.
As we entered the ground, memories of my last visit to the JJB flooded back. That had been back in our promotion season. The result had been great - a 1-1 draw - but the seating arrangements had been shambolic. We'd been behind the goal that day, and Wigan had decided that it would be unreserved seating. All well and good until a near-capacity Claret following arrived. With barely enough seats for everyone, the situation got out of hand, and there were dangerous bottlenecks near the exits as people looked in vain for somewhere to sit. Eventually, some Clarets were decanted into part of the adjacent side stand, where trouble soon erupted between them and the nearby Wigan supporters. I seem to remember that afterwards, some idiot on Wigan's Board blamed the Burnley supporters for the whole sorry incident. Disgraceful - and entirely preventable.
This time, we were seated down one of the sides. Although it was once again unreserved seating, this presented no problem as there was sufficient room for everyone to find a space. Despite getting there only a few minutes before kick-off, we easily got good seats on the halfway line.
It was at about this time I started wondering where Patrick was. He'd set off for the ground after me, but not that long after. There was no reply when I called his mobile, either, which was a bit odd. Never mind - I settled back into my seat and tried to work out who was playing.
Burnley fielded the usual suspects, except that new loan signing Neil Wood (courtesy of Saint Fergie) was in the starting line-up. Although I'd been told that he was a striker, it looked like he was going to play in midfield, as both Blake and Ian Moore were also out there. Fellow loan signings Bradley Orr and Paul Rachubka were on the bench.
Wigan's line-up included ex-Bastard John Filan in goal - hopefully he would see a lot of the action! At the other end of the team, the presence of ex-Bristol Rovers forwards Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington was something of a worry. Both good players, and certain to cause our defence problems. Andy Liddell (a player I'd often wished that Burnley would sign) was relegated to the bench.
The game kicked off, and it became clear that the poor state of the pitch would present difficulties for both sides - but perhaps more so for Burnley, as with no target man any more we have to play to feet. The first few minutes were fairly uneventful, and my mind was more on where Patrick had got to.
Eventually, Patrick turned up, covered in mud. His group had tried the footbridge route, been turned back by the stewards, and then, running late, had decided to scale a steep and muddy bank en route to the away end. Inevitably, he'd fallen down it, and was covered in mud. Fortunately he saw the funny side! He arrived just in time to see us almost score. Glen Little got a shot in, but a Wigan player cleared it. Filan might have saved it anyway, but hey - it was a good start!
Filan then had to be alert to thwart Ian Moore, and I started wondering if we were going to score. However, it was Wigan who nearly got the first goal. They got a free kick, and their Number 21, Bullard (who?) shot low and towards the post. Now, The Beast's mobility is frequently the subject of ridicule, but he moved quickly to make the save.
At this point, Robbie Blake was probably our star man. One bit of skill in particular, when he danced past a couple of Wigan players as though they weren't there (and this, remember, on a pitch that resembled a bog in places) was simply sublime. Any wonder that Wigan apparently want to sign him.
The Latics were possibly more threatening in front of goal, though, and a shot from Lee McCulloch resulted in The Beast having to pull off another great diving save. Shortly afterwards, a good cross from Bullard somehow ended up in the Burnley net - but the referee (Uriah Rennie) had already blown for a free kick.
Half time, and still nil-nil. Time to reflect on what we'd seen so far. I thought that the game could really go either way; although we'd defended well, Wigan had probably looked more threatening going forward. Would Robbie Blake be the key? How ironic that would be.
One thing you couldn't say about the game, despite the poor conditions, was that it was boring. Despite the lack of goals, it was end-to-end stuff. The second half began in similar vein - and Robbie Blake did almost score! Ian Moore's pass was perfectly timed, but somehow Blake contrived to shoot straight at Filan. Nine out of ten times from the same position he would have scored. Someone said afterwards that it had been on his weaker foot, but I still think that it was a relatively easy chance for a player of his quality.
The remainder of the game was notable for two things. First, Burnley's excellent defending. Mark McGregor in particular was magnificent, and I do believe that we might be looking at next season's captain if he is still with us. And secondly, the referee. I'd hardly noticed him in the first half, but he seemed to lose it completely in the second. Some of his decisions were bizarre, to say the least. I wouldn't say that he was biased - just poor on the day.
Rennie's peculiar decisions contributed to the excellent Bullard having two good chances to put Wigan ahead. Jensen pulled off another good save the first time, and Bullard's second attempt was off target. By now, Liddell had replaced McCulloch, but he was strangely subdued.
Wood (who turned in a very good performance) and Little each had chances to put the Clarets ahead, but we nearly blew it altogether late on. Roberts flung himself over McGregor's already-outstretched leg to win a free kick in a dangerous position, but thankfully nothing came of it. Personally, I would have booked Roberts for diving!
Stan took off Little and brought on Orr for the last couple of minutes, which were comparatively uneventful. When the final whistle went, I didn't know whether to be pleased (as I'd come to the game expecting nothing) or disappointed (as we'd played so well). On reflection, though, a draw was a fair result. On the balance of play, we hadn't deserved to win - but we'd certainly deserved the point.
Oddly, the long journey home positively flew by. I've no idea what time I got home - I didn't care. Burnley were unbeaten in January, and that was all that mattered.
Burnley: Jensen, Roche, May, McGregor, Camara, Little (Orr, 88), Grant, Chaplow, Wood, Blake, Ian Moore.
Subs not used: Rachubka, Branch, West, Chadwick.
Referee: U D Rennie (Sheffield). Five out of ten.
Attendance: 11,147.
Pauline's Man of the Match: Mark McGregor (with Jensen a close second).
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.
