Post
by Bluemike » Sun Jan 03, 2016 10:31 am
So the record was not to be but the lads put it another very solid and professional away performance to bring home what could be a crucial point against one of our rivals for a top Six spot. It was well deserved and probably over the course of the Ninety minutes a fair reflection of the game, if it were a boxing contest I suppose I would say Town edged home on points but then again I would say that wouldnt I, although for me we definitely had the upper hand during the first half, especially on chances created, Burnley will feel hard done by with the goal being disallowed for pushing but the ref was in a great position and gave it straight away. Sometimes stats lie and I am not one to take too much notice of them but yesterday they show that we had 14 shots to their 8, 3 on target to their 1, 8 corners to their 2 and 52% possession in our favour so if anyone edged it we certainly seemed to.
As goalless draws go it wasn't too bad to be fair, Two teams trying to get forward and create chances, it appeared to me we set up as 4-5-1 with Sears and Fraser getting forward to support Murphy in attack and it was these Two that again caused Burnley problems in the first half. Sears almost set up Smith early on but he shot weakly straight at Heaton while a few minutes later Fraser sent an effort just wide of the goal. We did have a bit of an escape when Gray sent a good effort just wide of the goal when he should really have done better. Town had one or two other half chances as the first half wore on before Mee had his goal ruled out for a foul. For me it was Town's half although not by much.
The second half was a very even contest with most of the chances being fairly routine without any great strikes on either goal, unlike at Brighton I never really saw a Burnley goal coming to be fair while we again looked pretty dangerous on the break, especially with the pace of sears who was put clean through once by Murphy but his effort was blocked. All in all it was a good days work and a point gained in our quest for the top Six, it sets us up nicely for two home league games against Leeds & Preston, both who we have already beaten away from home so we have every chance to consolidate our place in the play off zone.
For me there was little doubt that Tommy Smith was our MOTM yesterday, I think it was one of the best games I have seen him have for a long time, it was he who mainly snuffed out the threat of the 9 million quid man Andre Gray who it has to be said spent most of the game falling over and sitting on his arse, he got the better of Smith on the opening day at Brentford to rob us of Two points but Smithy certainly got his revenge yesterday and won his individual battle hands down. Luke Hyam came in and did ok without standing out but for me the loss of Johnny Douglas definitely robbed us of some goal threat as JD gets forward more and scores goals where as Hyam, as we all know rarely gets anywhere the oppositions box, that said we did OK as a Midfield unit. Once again Gerken was rock solid and kept another clean sheet but with only one effort from Burnley on target it was mainly crosses and through balls that he had to deal with.
I was more than happy with my first trip to Turf Moor, a club that seems stuck back in the 1960's, with its wooden seated stands, not long ago they were gracing the Premier league but on yesterday's showing you would have a hard job knowing which team had recently come down, they are no better than us and we have every chance to finish above them, the more I see of our rivals (Derby & Middlesbrough apart) the more I know we can achieve a top Six finish. Onwards and upwards, bring on the Pompey !!!
