Let me entertain
you
Burnley 4 Millwall 3, 22 April 2000
Tim Quelch
I’m not sure who chose Robbie
William’s hit for this season’s team intros at Turf Moor. Yes, of course
it’s stale and derivative. What’s clear, too, Stan wouldn’t have selected
it – at least as a message. In his post match interview on Radio Lancashire, Stan
told Gary Higson that he had no truck ‘with all this entertainer stuff – my
heart won’t stand it’. However, this was a magnificent game – certainly one
of the best I’ve seen. Of course, it’s easier to be gracious once the points are
finally secured. For sure, we were all mightily relieved to hear excellent Jeff
Winter’s final whistle. And yet seven minutes into the second half we had been 4-0
up. Paul Cook's 25-yard volley had just screamed inside Tony Warner’s left hand post
and we seemed home and drying (a first half squall had made nonsense of the shelter). How
did we almost forfeit a seemingly unassailable advantage?
The truth was that our 4-0 lead flattered us. We
made the very most of Millwall’s failings on high crosses while they wasted a host of
chances, especially in the first and final fifteen minute periods. At the height of the
storm, Ian Cox put us into a sixth minute lead. He freed himself of his marker to meet
Paul Cook’s left wing corner and his near post downward header just found goal, the
slippery ball evading Warner’s grasp. Then after almost half an hour, Payton broke on
the left and put over an excellent cross to the far post for Mullin to head into
Cookie’s path. Without hesitation, our centre forward volleyed home, much to his joy
and ours.
The sponsors selected Steve Davis as their man
of the match. Certainly, he made a series of important contributions at both ends
including a regulation power header from Mickey Mellon’s 43rd minute
corner to put us into a 3-0 interval lead. However, my selection as top man was Paul
Crichton. He made four point blank saves of the very highest quality, two of which
protected that slender early lead, and he remained assured throughout despite withstanding
periods of intense pressure. According to a recently published football magazine, Paul
seems to happily accept his journeyman status. Even the average performers have their
occasional moments of glory, though. This was Paul’s ‘Dog Day Afternoon’.
On the other hand, Millwall seemed to be having
a dog of a time. They were missing gilt-edged chances and defending badly. What’s
more, their cretinous fans started snarling and smashing with stereotypical fervour. But
on the hour their afternoon turned. Their leading scorer, Neil Harris, found some space on
the left of the box and rifled in a shot that was deflected wide of Crichton. Suddenly,
their earlier urgency was restored. Ifill’s crisp return ball allowed Harris to break
free of Burnley’s dozy defenders to slide a second goal wide of Crichton on 77
minutes. These goals should have been of consolation value only as both Lee (on as a 63rd
minute substitute for Payton) and Wright (on for the last twenty minutes) both squandered
excellent chances to lift the mounting siege. Had Burnley shown more composure under
pressure, they could and should have made their numerical advantage tell on the break. As
it was, they allowed Millwall almost exclusive possession for the final fifteen minutes.
Although Stan screamed at them to push up, Burnley continued to defend on the edge of
their box, with everyone except Wright behind the ball. With only Davis, Cox and Jepson
prepared to play out of trouble, most clearances were immediately snaffled, allowing
Millwall to pump in cross after cross into Burnley’s crowded area. It was almost
inevitable that given the thicket of bodies and the escalating anxiety further chances
would be yielded. What was surprising was that it took Millwall a further ten minutes to
score their third. Only some desperate lunges and Crichton’s agility kept the Lions
at bay during this crucial period. Tim Cahill finally poked in Millwall’s third in
the 87th minute after yet further ping-pong activity. With four minutes added
to normal time this was desperate watching.
The roar of relief at the final whistle was
cataclysmic and yet immediately afterwards the Burnley supporters I spoke with seemed
almost subdued. It wasn’t just the despicable behaviour of the Millwall hordes
(although one die-hard vowed that he wouldn’t go to Wembley if we were matched with
Millwall). Is it just my inherent scepticism or is there a growing realisation that we are
still surviving this promotion challenge by the skin of our teeth? Snidey Gary Higson
again dubbed Burnley as ‘unconvincing’. But Stan hasn’t pretended that we
are anything like the finished article yet. Over 75% of victories have been achieved by
the slenderest of margins. We have frequently failed to finish off inferior teams.
However, we’ve kept going. Surely, it is enormously to his and the players' credit
that they've maintained this promotion push so well? Look where we were just twelve months
ago.
The weaknesses are obvious (e.g. the defensive
shortcomings in midfield and at left back, the variability of our crossing, insufficient
support for our front runners, particularly in the box, our inability to make the most of
Ian Wright and his movement). I’m not sure that the 4-4-2 system enables us to get
the best from Cox, Davis or Thomas either – as a unit they didn’t look
particularly solid today, although all three made important individual contributions. Has
the tactical switching between three at the back and flat back four systems unsettled
them? To me Thomas now seems more accomplished as a centre back although this has not been
his natural slot. Despite his best efforts (and I do now recognise these), Branch is not a
left back. It should be noted that Millwall’s most telling attacks came from their
right flank where Paul Ifill fortunately had only a fitful game. However, I understand
that Paul Smith was poor against Gillingham and both Cowan and Armstrong are still unfit.
Johnrose was badly missed. Mellon was wholly
inadequate in central midfield and almost gifted Millwall a couple of goals. On the other
hand, Mullin had a storming first half on the right flank and also tried hard to get us
going in the second. Cook worked as hard as his namesake and garnished his show with a
shell-like goal but, like Mellon, he is at his most effective when Burnley are pushing
forward. Jepson played a sort of holding role today, in the absence of Johnrose, and made
a reasonable fist of things. We needed a battler and he certainly gave us that. As for the
strikers, Cooke played well and it was great to see him get a richly deserved goal. As for
Payton, he looked off colour apart from his telling cross for Cooke’s goal. Lee
looked very sharp as his replacement and had he not been conscripted to the defence might
have punished Millwall more. He appeared strong in the air and powerful running with the
ball. One diagonal run could have put Wright in, but Lee didn’t see the opportunity.
A few minutes later he rectified that but alas, Wrighty’s sharp left foot drive
whistled past the far post. Lee and Mellon (?) also seemed to get in one another’s
way when a right wing cross landed at their feet with only Warner to beat.
The Millwall fans passing me had no doubt about
the justice of the result. They were convinced that they had thrown three points away. One
supporter remarked that had their been a further ten minutes play, his side would have
won. Possibly, but in this topsy-turvy game anything could have happened.
I will try and forget Millwall’s moronic
masses and the fear of the little boy sat behind me. His father had to reassure him that
he was in no danger as droves of them surged towards us in the James Hargreaves Stand. The
Police held their line, though. I’m particularly pleased that these idiots had
nothing more to celebrate than three consolation goals. What I shall hold onto was a
terrific end-to-end battle of tilting fortunes, stuffed with chances, excellent goals and
brilliant saves. If football was as good as this each week we would all suffer from
unrecoverable indigestion. Now we can’t have that, can we?
Team: Crichton,
Thomas, Davis, Cox, Branch, Mullin, Mellon, Jepson, Cook (Weller 81), Cooke (Wright 70),
Payton (Lee 63). Subs not used: Brass and West.
No yellow or red cards.
Attendance: 14,890.
The away game
