By Longsider
October 27 2004

Press reports of last nights victory over Aston Villa. The victory for the Clarets has caused a stir in the media and we have 5 reports for you to read and enjoy. Vintage Clarets humble weary O'Leary

Guardian

David O'Leary declared himself "disgusted" and "embarrassed" after his Aston Villa side's involvement in this season's Carling Cup came to an abrupt end at the hands of Steve Cotterill's patched-up Burnley side.

Having picked his strongest XI with the aim of improving on last year's semi-final appearance, O'Leary had to concede that his team had been outplayed by a side who lie in the bottom half of the Championship and boast only 16 senior professionals, three of them missing last night.

Burnley were in control from the moment Graham Branch rose to head home their ninth-minute opener and would have won by a more convincing margin had Robbie Blake not missed a 55th-minute penalty, the only blemish on an otherwise outstanding individual performance.

"As a Villa man it was embarrassing," said O'Leary. "I don't want to take anything away from Burnley, because they were the better team by a mile. But I am disgusted by my players because the Villa fans deserve better than that. We came here with our best team because we wanted to take this competition seriously, but their keeper didn't have a shot to save before Angel scored."

Burnley's third goal illustrated their confidence. Jean-Louis Valois, signed on a short-term contract only last month, weaved past two defenders before rifling an excellent shot into the roof of the net beyond the beleaguered Thomas Sorensen.

Villa could have few complaints. Inspired by the effervescent Blake, Burnley went ahead when the home skipper out witted Villa's right-back Mark Delaney at the byline before picking out Branch at the far post. Blake's penalty miss did nothing to dent Burnley's confidence and Mo Camara made it two with a smart header in the 65th minute. Juan Pablo Angel gave Villa hope with another header in the 81st minute but this was always going to be Burnley's night.

Blake inspires Burnley to brush woeful Villa aside

Independent

Jean Louis Valois capped a stunning Burnley performance with the 85th minute goal that confirmed the Championship side's superiority over a thoroughly embarrassed Aston Villa.

Valois's mazy run took him past two Villa defenders before he struck a delightful finish that compounded the humiliation of the Premiership outfit.

Any doubts about the importance attached to this game by David O'Leary were dispelled by his team-sheet that revealed just two changes from the side that beat Fulham 2-0, including the enforced absence of Darius Vassell, who has been sidelined for three months with a broken ankle.

By contrast, Burnley manager, Steve Cotterill, was forced to lift his side following last Friday's home defeat against Derby without three key players.

Graham Branch headed Cotterill's side ahead in the ninth minute and for the rest of the half, Burnley looked much the more threatening side.

Predictably the opening came from a piece of trickery by Robbie Blake, a constant thorn in Villa's side, who beat right back Mark Delaney at the by-line before posting a tempting cross towards Branch at the far post. Branch out-manouevred Liam Ridgewell and, with keeper Thomas Sorensen stranded, headed firmly downwards from close range to claim the breakthrough.

Villa's early efforts were confined to midfield bluster and a hopeful long range effort from in-form midfielder Lee Hendrie while Burnley maintained their momentum and displayed significantly more purpose as they came forward.

Villa were beginning to press as the half ended, with Carlton Cole's dangerous deep cross from the left headed away by Mohammed Camara.

Then Juan Pablo Angel, who had not seen much of the ball, tried to get a shot away from the edge of the box but centre-back John McGreal bravely blocked his effort.

The half time break did little to rejuvenate Villa and the sight of Jlloyd Samuel almost deflecting Blake's 50th minute inswinging free kick past Sorensen offered a further taste of the Midlands side's self destructive tendencies that were to be laid bare five minutes later when Samuel upended Richard Duffy to concede a penalty. Samuel was forced to rely on Sorensen to save his blushes with a superb save to deny Blake's spot-kick.

But any hopes this could lift the visitors were dispelled when Grant worked a corner with Blake before whipping in a left wing cross towards the head of Camara who diverted home.

Villa looked rocked, although substitute Thomas Hitzlsperger pushed forward and although Angel scored his fourth of the season nine minutes from time, Valois added the decisive goal moments later.

Burnley (4-5-1): Coyne; Roche, Duff, McGreal, Camara; Duffy, Grant, Hyde, Branch, Valois; Blake. Substitutes: Jensen (gk), Sanokho, O'Neill, Pilkington, Scott.

Aston Villa (4-4-2): Sorensen; Delaney, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Samuel (Hitzlsperger, 60); Solano (Moore, 72), Hendrie, McCann, Whittingham; Angel, Cole. Substitutes: Postma (gk), De La Cruz, Moore, Davis.

Referee: C Foy (Merseyside)

Villa's past counts for nothing in shock exit Times

DAVID O’LEARY, the Aston Villa manager, made his first-team debut for Arsenal in a goalless draw at Turf Moor at the age of 17 in August 1975 and had not been back until last night. After his side’s abject elimination from the League Cup, he will not remember his second visit with anywhere near as much affection as he does the first. Burnley, sixteenth in the Championship, dominated last night’s third-round tie from start to finish, taking an early lead through Graham Branch and extending it with Mohammed Camara’s first goal for the club just after the hour mark. Juan Pablo Ángel gave the Premiership side a flicker of hope with a header, but Jean-Louis Valois followed Camara’s lead with his first goal for Burnley to confirm victory with a final flourish. Villa, semi-finalists last season and winners of the competition on five occasions, were dismal throughout despite fielding their strongest available team and would have lost even more heavily had not Thomas Sorensen saved a penalty from Robbie Blake soon after the interval. “Embarrassing,” was O’Leary’s verdict. “We were poor all over the pitch. I’m disgusted with them because Villa fans deserve more than they got tonight. Nobody on the night played for us. It was the poorest since I’ve been at Aston Villa by a long way.” Burnley’s triumph was all the more remarkable given that they had to overcome the absence of three key players — Frank Sinclair, Richard Chaplow and Ian Moore — through injury or suspension. Nevertheless, they looked anything but a team with only one win in their previous eight league games. “I’m very proud of them tonight,” Steve Cotterill, the manager, said. “Not only the result but also the performance. We’re absolutely delighted. We needed to put on that show for the supporters.” Cotterill singled out Blake, the captain, who played as a lone forward but one ably supported by players breaking from midfield, as demonstrated when Branch met Blake’s cross to head past Sorensen after only nine minutes. Inspired by that, Burnley went in search of a second and it could have come 11 minutes into the second half when Jlloyd Samuel tripped Richard Duffy, only for Sorensen to get down well to his right to save Blake’s penalty. It only delayed the inevitable. In the 65th minute, Tony Grant picked up the ball from a short corner on the left and drove it fiercely into the six-yard area. Whether it was a shot or a hopeful cross was immaterial as Camara hurtled in to head home decisively. The exuberance of his celebrations took him half the length of the field, into the arms of Cotterill. Ángel headed in a cross by Luke Moore, a substitute, nine minutes from time to set up what threatened to be a storming finish, but Valois made sure five minutes later when he slalomed into the Villa penalty area from the right and hit the ball between Sorensen and his near post and into the roof of the net. “We were below par, but full credit to Burnley,” O’Leary said. “The best side won tonight, by a mile.”

O'LEARY FURY AS HUMBLED VILLA TURFED OUT

Mirror

FURIOUS Villa manager David O'Leary savaged his players following last night's humiliation at Turf Moor. The Premiership outfit crashed out after Graham Branch, Mo Camara and Jean-Louis Valois struck for Steve Cotterill's collection of old heads, free transfers, short-term fixes and loans. Burnley could even afford the luxury of Robbie Blake - a handful all night and who created Branch's opener - squandering a 55th-minute penalty. O'Leary, who fielded as strong a side as he could muster, said: "We were embarrassing, the best team won by a mile. I'm disgusted. "The players didn't apply themselves to try to stop a cup shock. We didn't do enough in any way. We gave bad goals away and were poor all over the pitch. "I'd like to have players to replace the ones I've got and scare them, but I have none." His hopes of a route into Europe were dented in the ninth minute when Graham Branch headed home for the mid-table Championship side. Camara added their second in the 65th minute. Juan Pablo Angel threw Villa an 81st-minute lifeline. But any hope of rescue ended when Valois - one of the Burnley line-up on a short-term deal - sealed the win four minutes from time.

Burnley humiliate Villa with three goals
Daily Telegraph

Jean-Louis Valois scored a stunning individual goal to clinch a fully deserved victory for Burnley and seal Aston Villa's humiliating Carling Cup exit at Turf Moor.

	Mo Camara: headed Burnley's second goal

Valois, rescued from football's free-agent scrapheap by Burnley manager Steve Cotterill, rounded three Villa defenders before firing a powerful strike into the top corner to complete a thrilling victory for the Championship strugglers.

The harsh reality for Aston Villa, despite their pedigree as former European Cup winners, is that the Carling Cup was always going to be the club's best, even only, hope of silverware this season.

David O'Leary's team are not in the bracket of title contenders and the FA Cup has been the preserve of the very big guns for so long now that it has become almost as predictable as the Premiership itself, leaving clubs like Villa to fight for the scraps in the Carling Cup.

The importance of this competition to Villa was borne out by O'Leary's decision to field a full-strength side, but they fell behind after just nine minutes when Graham Branch headed home.

Burnley should have extended their lead when Tony Grant wastefully failed to hit the target from 20 yards just before half-time.

Villa finally realised they had to up their game if they were to avoid an embarrassing cup exit and Juan Pablo Angel almost levelled with a scissors-kick.

However, the visitors looked set for the knock-out blow on 55 minutes when referee Chris Foy awarded a penalty following a Jlloyd Samuel foul on Richard Duffy. Robert Blake stepped up, but Villa goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen dived low for a crucial save.

It should have acted as a spur for Villa, but Mo Camara all but killed them off when he headed Grant's cross past Sorensen.

Angel set up a nervous final 10 minutes when he headed Luke Moore's cross into the net, but Valois ensured justice was done four minutes later.