Match Report 2001-2002

Sunday 02 September, 2001, Division One

Burnley At Valley Parade

Much head scratching as Burnley steal the points

Strangely prophetic during the break of yesterday's tub thumping 5-1 win over Germany Mark Lawrensen singled out a save by David Seaman as a turning point in the game. The 37 year old old got down to his right and turned away a goal bound shot. Steven Gerrard's power hit a minute or two later sent the game England's way. City will look back on a moment in the unfathomable 3-2 home defeat to Burnley the same way.

That moment was when Benito Carbone and Eoin Jess combined down the left to centre a low ball that Ashley Ward smartly converted. Ward seemed to be behind the ball and in any case did not look offside but never the less "Twitchy" the linesman still flagged to chalk off a City goal.

That goal would have pushed the game into City's favour 2-1, the second time a flag had robbed City of a leading goal after the first half saw a similar but more plausible offside call. Still 2-1 it would have been to the Bantams and almost certainly then more. Nevertheless the flag put pay to that and, predictably, Burnley charged up the other end and restored their lead.

Glenn Little, the impressive if insolent right winger that was high on Paul Jewell and Chris Hutching's shopping list, had kicked off the scoring at the start of the second half when he got the better of the Jacobs/Myers axis and popped the ball past Gary Walsh. City's backline, lacking David Wetherall who made the bench but did not figure, had trouble all game coping with the two wide men that Burnley employed in Little and on loan Middlesbrough player Alan Moore who had tormented the Bantams in the first half and worked a number of openings that could have been converted.

Little's two strikes sandwiched a ranged chip over the Burnley keeper by Ashley Ward as the Bantams peppered the Burnley goal. Ward's chip was added to by a thunderous Gunnar Halle left footed strike that hit the bar, a moment for Beni Carbone in the box when he was scissored over by a prostrate defender, long rangers by Gary Locke and Eoin Jess and a low drive from Gareth Whalley that bounced back off the foot of the post into the grateful keeper's hands. This pressure culminated in the goal for Ward that wasn't which in turn changed the game.

So City were in catch up again and again they caught up, Stuart McCall converting after sub Robbie Blake had tricked his way down the left once more. Burnley, physical and counter attacking brought on Tony Ellis. yes, that Tony Ellis from the olden days, and the 36 year old promptly received a ball back to goal and swivelled a low shot in leaving the Bantams gob smacked. McCall had chance to fire over once more, but that went as did the game leaving City scratching heads and questioning the second of Ward's disallowed efforts.

Without doubt with a lead City would have gone on to win the game, Burnley's three strikes all coming from the Bantams chasing the game and being caught out, and the home side did enough to suggest that this smash and grab home loss would be the exception rather than the norm but the loss irks. Two disallowed goals and a penalty that just was are hard to take when they cost you a place at the top of the league.

But let us lean the lesson of the weekend. Football is played over a long season. A win today is hard to take, but revenge is all the sweeter for it. 5-1 at Turf Moor anyone?

Man of the Match

Ashley Ward

More tireless work from that man who is permanently doubled marked and an Owenesque hat trick, although two were disallowed.

City Team:

Walsh
Halle Molenaar Myers Jacobs
Locke McCall Whalley
Jess Ward Carbone

Subs: Blake for Halle