By Longsider
November 13 2003

A look back on yesterday's encounter with Sheffield United which saw the Clarets go down 1-0. The following are a couple of reports from today's newspapers.

SUNDAY PEOPLE:-


CLARETS ARE SO SLACK AT THE BACK

BURNLEY'S barmy backs boobed again as another moment of madness cost them a share of the points.

The pantomime season's almost here and for the second week running Stan Ternent's troops were in full dress-rehearsal to gift high-flying United another three-point haul in their fight for promotion.

The gaffe also extended a horrendous run that's seen Burnley fail to win at Bramall Lane for 30 years!

Last week it was captain calamity Graham Branch whose late blunder allowed Cardiff tearaway Robert Earnshaw to pinch a point.

This week's goof came on half-time with an incredible tangle between Arthur Gnohere and Dean West.

Jack Lester looked unlikely to reach the stray ball as Burnley keeper Brian Jensen raced out to claim it. But Jensen's call was either not heard or simply ignored.

Gnohere intercepted, crashed the ball against West and, with Jensen joining the party, a kind bounce presented Michael Tonge with probably the easiest goal he'll ever score.

Burnley looked a shadow of the confident side that outplayed Cardiff last week and they certainly missed the influence of creative midfielder Glen Little.

But despite that they could have taken the lead almost from the kick-off when teenage sensation Richard Chaplow forced Paul Gerrard to make his best save of the game with a well-placed shot.

And even after conceding that humiliating goal, Burnley might still have pinched a result when Ian Moore pounced on Chris Morgan's mistake. As he collided with keeper Gerrard, Luke Chadwick picked up the spoils and was unlucky to see Phil Jagielka get in the way of his goal bound shot.

While this was far from classic stuff from the Blades, they always looked the more accomplished side and would have won at a canter if they were wearing their shooting boots.

Pick of the bunch for United came in a rousing late spell when the outstanding Chris Armstrong sent Peter Ndlovu racing past Mo Camara, but Lester sliced his volley and the shot flew over the bar.

With just eight minutes to go substitute Paul Peschisolido thought he'd bagged a second with a spectacular diving header, but Jensen produced a remarkable reflex save.


SUNDAY TIMES:-

STAN TERNENT, the Burnley manager, admitted that Sheffield United had the lion’s share of chances yesterday, but after a week in which flu decimated the Burnley squad he was proud of his team’s effort. 
“The goal we gave away was like something out of comic cuts but we kept fighting to the end,” Ternent said. “It wasn’t much of a game because there wasn’t much room out there.” 

The only goal came at just the right time for Neil Warnock’s team — seconds before half-time. It came as a result of Jack Lester’s determined chase. His shot ricocheted violently off defenders Arthur Gnohere and Dean West before Brian Jensen, Burnley’s Danish goalkeeper, miscued straight to the feet of Michael Tonge, who swept the ball into the open goal. 

To give United their due, they were never content to sit on a 1-0 scoreline and an excellent link-up between Rob Kozluk and Paul Peschisolido was only foiled by a point-blank save that must have been one of the finest of Jensen’s career. 

“I saw today as a good performance by us which would have been better but for the fantastic save by Jensen,” Warnock said. “Thankfully Robbie Blake and Ian Moore didn’t get similar chances at the other end.” 

The first half went very much United’s way, with Luke Chadwick and Mo Camara trying to sweep Burnley forward with little success. Chadwick, the winger on loan from Manchester United, had a bad day at the office and made way for Blake shortly after the interval. 

Early in the second half Burnley almost netted a lucky goal of their own when Chris Morgan’s ill-judged back header fell to Chadwick, but his lofted shot was headed away by Phil Jagielka. 

Alistair Campbell and John Prescott were at the game and their presence proved more of an attraction than anything the two teams could produce. Still, Warnock was satisfied as the victory represented three points — and a move up to second in the table.