By Longside
February 11 2005

We have a match report from Sporting Life this morning on the drab affair at Turf Moor, where the clarets lost their impressive run of seven consecutive home clean sheets.

(Sportinglife) 

Burnley 0 Leeds United 1

Gylfi Einarsson's first goal for Leeds gave them a deserved victory in a bizarre scrap with 10-man Burnley at Turf Moor.

Ian Moore missed a penalty for the home side, which came after Icelandic international Einarsson found the net midway through the second half.

Einarsson, who joined on a free transfer from Norwegian club Lillestrom in January, met Aaron Lennon's far post cross with a powerful header which ended the Clarets' run of seven straight clean sheets at home.

The hosts, who had Frank Sinclair sent off for a second bookable offence in the 73rd minute, only looked likely to score after they had gone behind, but Leeds held firm to win a game which will only be remembered for its final third.

David Healy, the most dangerous player on the pitch in the first half, had a lob easily saved by Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen inside the first minute.

But that certainly did not set the tone for the opening period.

Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell put Michael Gray straight into his side following the left-back's loan move from Blackburn, and the Clarets supporters roundly booed every touch - perhaps an indication of what Gray's old Rovers team-mates might expect when they travel here for their hotly-anticipated FA Cup clash in just over two weeks.

Despite Burnley's midfield tenacity, Leeds were more authoritative in possession and nearly carved an opening when Einarsson dummied Gary Kelly's cross to make space for Healy, in the box, but Gary Cahill blocked the former Preston striker's shot.

The Clarets were winning battles all over the pitch with Micah Hyde outstanding, but Moore, who scored his first goals in four months in the win over Bournemouth last week, was too often an isolated figure up front and hardly troubled Paul Butler and Clarke Carlisle.

Healy looped another shot just high and wide from Carlisle's long ball but a wild effort from Sean Gregan which hit the corner flag largely summed up the first half.

When Healy finally got the ball on target, it ended up in the net, but he was offside at the far post when he swept in Lennon's cross.

Brian Deane was then thwarted in first-half injury-time when Jensen tipped the veteran's glancing header from Kelly's free-kick wide.

A harmless Cahill header and a routine Einarsson effort at the other end saw the pattern continue after half-time.

But with 25 minutes remaining, United finally took the lead. Lennon found space down the right and jinked past Mo Camara before crossing for Einarsson at the far post to head firmly into the back of the net.

After that, the game finally burst into life.

Clarets skipper Sinclair, who was booked for a foul on Healy in the dying stages of the first half, kicked out following a late tackle from Einarsson and was shown a second yellow card.

With 11 minutes left, Moore finally got his chance after Carlisle hauled him down in the area as he chased a Lee Roche clearance.

But the former Stockport man's resulting spot-kick was palmed away with an agile save from Neil Sullivan.

The Clarets felt aggrieved when Butler appeared to handle Camara's cross, while Sullivan pulled off another magnificent stop from a towering Moore header.

Leeds substitute Danny Pugh spurned a superb late chance from close-range after good work from Healy but it mattered little.

Teams

Burnley Jensen, Roche, McGreal, Sinclair, Camara, Oster (Valois 69), Grant, Hyde, Cahill, Branch, Moore.

Subs Not Used: Coyne, O'Neill, Pilkington, Scott.

Sent Off: Sinclair (78).

Booked: Cahill, Sinclair.

Leeds Sullivan, Kelly, Carlisle, Butler, Gray, Lennon, Wright, Gregan, Einarsson (Pugh 87), Deane (Ricketts 87), Healy.

Subs Not Used: Richardson, Spring, Johnson.

Booked: Einarsson.

Goals: Einarsson 66.

Att: 17,789

Ref: C Webster (Tyne & Wear