After the lord
mayor's show... another win!
Burnley 2 Cardiff 1, 18 December 1999
John McPartlin
It has been a long time since I have been
able to get up to Turf Moor for a home game, and as we are just about to enter a new
century, so the present seemed the perfect opportunity to see the old one out in the right
way. Football has always been the plainman's game, but not anymore; with the soaring cost
of going to matches, the punter these days need to have a hefty wodge in his pocket. When
I arrived at Euston for the Burnley express I was still thinking in the old terms of
£7.50 for the day return. As someone, moreover, who always makes the most of these
occasional visits by picking up new purchases in the club shop, and browsing around and
buying a few things here and there, after my day out I found that I ended up with little
left from £100. I don't mind this as it is what I wanted to do, but I had to reflect that
those who go regularly must be in well paid jobs!
It is always with a sense of anticipation and
pleasure that I arrive in Burnley. I had earlier been warned off the Mechanics, but I
looked in on the wander down Manchester Road for a pint of Ram Tam, which turned out to be
pretty good, so I had another before setting off for the Sparrowhawk in search of the
Reindeer Ale that I had heard recommended. The town centre was packed with people doing
their Christmas shopping. It is not just the club, but the whole town that has turned the
corner if this was a true reflection of things. I had once read in the Express that it was
official, that government figures had shown that Burnley had the lowest wages in the land,
but no one would ever have thought so from all the bustle and cheer.
This was my first visit to the ground since it
has been redeveloped as an all-seater stadium with two new stands, both of which are
impressive. As I took my seat in the Jimmy McIlroy Stand, I could not help noticing how
small the Bob Lord and the Cricket Field now appear in comparison.
Cardiff, fifth from the foot of the table,
looked beforehand like three easy points and a good opportunity to improve our goal
difference - if we take out the three and five nil wins we find that we have only scored
eighteen goals, one per game, which is not promotion winning standard. As it turned out,
we once again stopped our opponents from scoring, and got three ourselves, unfortunately
one of them in our own net. Burnley's performance in the first half was frankly awful -
they appeared unable to put two passes together - and Cardiff, who like most teams in
their position had come to defend, and possess just the basics of the game, sensed that
three points were there for the taking, pressed forward, and if they had possessed a
decent goalscorer could have had the game won by halftime.
But what a turnaround in the second! With their
shape now altered and with a couple of judicious substitutions, Burnley looked a
completely different team. They drew level with a well struck Armstrong goal, and had in
man of the match Glen Little someone in a class of his own. Cardiff could not deal with
him, and he set up Johnrose's winner with a piece of play that, if there were an award for
best 'assist', would pick up top top prize. Burnley could in fact had gone on to win more
comfortably and improve their goal tally if it had not been for the competent handling of
the Cardiff keeper.
From the few times where I have seen them this
season, it is obvious that Burnley now have a solid defence, and have a couple of good
goal poachers up front; it is in midfield that they remain weak. Stan the man knows how to
make needed changes at the right time, and if we had someone like him in the field who
could fill that role, Burnley would be a very good team indeed.
Team:
Crichton, West (Branch 26), Armstrong, Thomas, Davis, Mellon (Johnrose 65), Cook, Little,
Mullin, Payton, Cooke (Jepson 85). Subs not used: Brass and Weller.
Links -
more from this game and the away game
