PREMIERSHIP/Burnley 1 Stoke C 1:DAVID NUGENT'S 53rd-minute headed goal rescued what threatened to be one of Burnley's most deflating nights of what is becoming a joyless season. A point was the minimum Burnley required here. Until Brian Laws takes his team to Hull on April 10th, they will not leave Lancashire and it is there their fate will be decided. Saturday's game with Wolves is the kind of must-win match that comes in capitals.
Nugent’s goal transformed the home side from a shambles to the vastly better side and both Chris Eagles and Kevin McDonald might have snatched a precious victory.
There is no danger of Rory Delap edging out Wayne Rooney for the main award when the great and the good gather at the Royal Lancaster hotel but the Stoke player has been one of the footballers of the year. The one-time junior javelin champion’s way with a long throw has altered football in the Potteries. Laws had discussed at length how Burnley would deal with Delap and these included talks with Leon Cort, who had shared a dressingroom with Delap in the Britannia Stadium, and the tactic of moving the advertising hoardings closer to the touchline to deny him a run-up.
Midway through the first half Delap discovered a way round it by running diagonally before launching the ball at the Burnley penalty area. The massive frame of Mamady Sidibe flicked it on and Tuncay accelerated his run to head the ball past Brian Jensen. It was the Turk’s fifth of the season and the 10th Stoke have scored from Delap’s throws.
There were errors everywhere for Burnley. Jack Cork had sight of goal but chose a weak pass to Martin Paterson when it would have been simpler to have shot. Chris Eagles attempted a shot so badly sliced it finished behind him. Graham Alexander delivered a routine crossfield pass and picked out someone in the crowd. Just before the interval, Eagles delivered a deep cross that fell perfectly but was scuffed by Paterson. And that summed up Burnley in the second half of a season.
BURNLEY: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Cort, Fox (Jordan 77), Paterson, Alexander, Cork (McDonald 46), Eagles, Nugent, Thompson (Elliott 71). Subs Not Used: Weaver, Duff, Blake, Bikey. Booked: Carlisle, McDonald.
STOKE: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Huth, Abdoulaye Faye, Collins, Lawrence (Pugh 63), Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Sanli (Moult 85), Sidibe (Kitson 63). Subs Not Used: Begovic, Amdy Faye, Davies, Lund.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
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