Starting Line-Ups

Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands )

Assistant Referees: Eddie Evans (Manchester) and Gary Wallace (Tyne and Wear )

4th Official: Joe Taylor(Lancashire)

Attendance: 4501

Match Round-Up:

What a difference three days make!

Well an interesting starting line up tonight with Gareth O'Connor starting on the left, Spicer on the right and Graham Branch returning to partner Ade up front. The first half was a good solid start by the Clarets, Branch and Akinbiyi linking up well giving height and pace to the attack. Things were moving along with some good early pressure. Unlike last Saturdays game at Plymouth, Burnley didn't have the largest share of possession with the first half stats eventually showing 58% to Barnsley but it was only the second corner of the night when the break came. A Gareth O'Connor corner played in, flicked on, and Keith Lowe for his first Burnley goal on 28 minutes. A well taken corner leaving Lowe little work needed with his head. A great start to the second half and only 7 minutes on the clock when Akinbiyi scored his 7th of the season beating the keeper and passing into the net, now Burnley were getting into gear and 7 minutes later, for another first goal for the club, Spicer received from Akinbiyi to pass one into the net and 3-0. Flowing football was now the order of the night and minutes later Branch hit a stinging left foot shot but the Barnsley keeper made a superb save to deny him. The clarets were showing the sort of football we know they should be playing and chances kept coming. Substitutions started on 65 minutes with Barnsley making the change first and then we made three substitutions with Sinclair coming on for Lowe, Noel Williams coming on for Ade and then a few minutes later we took Hyde off for McCann. Almost immediately McCann pulled a terrific save out of Barnsley and we just kept going.

Final Comments: MOM announced as Micah Hyde, which was no surprise BUT really it should have been a TEAM of the match. Branch also deserves a shout for a great display up front, could we have found a new partner for Akinbiyi?

Stats:

Possession:
Burnley 37% (!!!! According to BBC and ClaretsWorld)
Barnsley 63%

Shots:
Burnley 12
Barnsley 7

Corners:
Burnley 8
Barnsley 0

Fouls:
Burnley 11
Barnsley 8

Burnley

D Coyne, M Duff, K Lowe (74 F Sinclair), J McGreal, J Harley, G O'Connor, M Hyde (80 C McCann), J Spicer, J O'Connor, G Branch, A Akinbiyi (75 G Noel Williams)

Subs: B Jensen, F Sinclair, K Lafferty, C McCann, G Noel Williams

Barnsley

S Flinders, D Tonge, N Austin, R Williams, M Devaney, J Burns (65 S McPhail), A Kay, N Wroe, C Shuker, D Nardiello (71 B Conlon), M Richards (70 Hayes)

Subs: N Colgan, B Hassell, P Hayes, B Conlon, S McPhail

Steve Cotterill's Post Match Comments:

"I sat and watched them on a tape this morning and they're not bad, so it was a decent performance from our lads."

"They have a great spirit, they're very together and they've been hurting a bit about what might have been said about them in the last week or so and I thought tonight they answered anything that was thrown at them."

Other Full Time Scores:

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