Burnley 1 Preston 1
Pughtrid
The statistics said...
We drew 1-1 at the Turf with our local rivals. The Clarets took the lead in the 19th minute via Robbie Blake, after a defensive error allowed Glen Little to set him up for a simple finish. Preston equalised in the 58th minute via a Graham Alexander penalty, after perpetual thorn-in-the-side Ricardo Fuller had dived / been fouled by Mo Camara (depending on your allegiance / perspective).
From Burnley's perspective, weak refereeing spoiled the game. We were denied a penalty in the first half, and Mr Pugh did nothing about several unsavoury off-the-ball incidents initiated by our opponents. He did, however, send off Fuller right at the end - although it was by then long overdue.
We're now 18th in the table, and looking for a strong finish over the remaining 11 games.
Our survey said...
[Disclaimer*]
Mike T:
Oh, referee! What is the fourth official for? Just to stop Stan walking out of his technical area, introduce the subs and show the board? It's about time they had radio communication with the ref.
To conclude, then: the ref was rubbish, and the assistants were useless. GET IT SORTED, FA!
Hozzo:
One good thing came out of the day: where was my PNE-supporting brother?
We were the better team! Pity the ref didn't get substituted. At least we have another point in the bag. Come on, lads - four more wins will see us through!
Barbara:
Two points dropped again - this week, not our fault. Cheating North End players and a dreadful referee. Ricardo Fuller: it was a pleasure to see him walk! Keep going, Clarets!
Dermot:
A good performance by Burnley after a hard game against West Ham - especially considering our small squad. Aided by poor officials, Preston gained an undeserved result. If Ricardo Fuller got killed in a car crash tonight, I would shed no tears. He is a diver and a cheat!
Editor's note: we believe that Mr Fuller is still with us...
Michael B:
A hard-fought contest, especially by Preston, which we should have won easily. We ought to have been out of sight in the first half, but failed to capitalise on a spell when Preston were all over the place. In the second half, Preston wanted it more than Burnley, and we ended up hanging on for a point.
I thought initially that the referee was giving players the benefit of the doubt, but he turned out to be spineless. The highlight of the day for me was riding in the cab of the front locomotive on the train up, although the breakdown wasn't my responsibility.
Editor's note: our esteemed Treasurer is a train buff. Yes, we attract all types!
Russell:
No bad Burnley players. We were the better team throughout, but lacked the final ball once again.
Vanessa:
My first ever football game, and I really enjoyed the day. 'We' were robbed - a converted Claret!
Lee F:
We were cheated. Compare our penalty claim in the first half with Fuller's slow dive in the second. We were the better team, but we weren't allowed to show it due to the shocking ref and Nob End's dirty tactics.
The sending off of Fuller did not benefit us in any way. He'll probably be banned against one of our relegation rivals - Preston will have to play the donkey Cresswell and that utter [expletive deleted] Healy, and we'll lose points because of it.
Editor's note: apologies to Lee for any errors / omissions - his comments were recorded by Paddy, who has possibly the worst handwriting in the world. Ever.
Simon:
I enjoyed the game. Unfortunately, the linesmen and the ref were a joke.
This was a true First Division encounter, with no quarter given. Several players were excellent; several were crap. Branch, Camara: yes, excellent. Ian Moore: AWOL. One point closer to safety.
Paddy:
Excuse me, sorry... Obviously I'm stupid, but I thought that League football was a professional game with fit, intelligent, neutral officials?
But no: I'M A NAÏVE IDIOT! Just in case you missed that: I'M A NAÏVE IDIOT!
Today's person on the pitch - I can't use the word 'referee' - was at best mickey-mouse and at worst a cheat. If he dies in a car crash, I only hope that he's giving Ricardo Fuller a lift.
'Puke' - or was it 'Pugh'? - was completely abysmal. The penalty he gave would imply that Fuller was his bastard love-child. Fuller's dive had three separate stages, and suffice to say was no penalty. We were robbed by an ineffectual, incompetent, blind cheat. If he ever officiates in another game, the Football League should be investigated.
Pic of the day: Benyon the Steam
We managed to get a picture of Michael at the controls of our train to Leeds. Any wonder it was delayed by nearly an hour!
*As with all articles on the site, the views expressed in the vox pop section are those of the individual contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Burnley FC London Supporters' Club.
