Burnley ~ What The Press Say

[Half Man Half Biscuit]

What the Press Say.
http://www.sportbox.tv/football/news/story.php?id=1203650

Burnley 1-0 Reading
22:09 - 28th, Oct 2008
Burnley substitute Robbie Blake stole all three points with the only goal of the game, ten minutes from time, in a match totally dominated by the visitors.

Steve Coppell's Reading side were in the ascendancy right from the kick-off, with Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen having one of those evenings when a combination of fine saves and a little bit of luck frustrated the visitors.

Jensen produced a brilliant double-save as early as the eighth minute when Jimmy Kebe headed the ball down to Kevin Doyle, whose volley was somehow kept out by Jensen, who then scrambled to his feet to turn the rebound from Noel Hunt behind for a corner.

Jensen was beaten after 16 minutes when Doyle turned two defenders on the edge of the box, but crashed his shot against the post.

Burnley rarely threatened in the opening half, but striker Martin Paterson was guilty of missing a couple of half-chances.

The pattern of the game continued in the second half with Reading firmly in control and Jensen pushing a free-kick from James Harper behind for a corner. Full-back Liam Rosenior got forward to join the attack, but struck his shot across the face of goal.

Just before the hour mark, Harper found the head of Noel Hunt, but Jensen managed to fingertip the ball on to the post. Three minutes later, a free-kick from Harper was deflected on to the top of the crossbar, with Jensen beaten.

Left-back Chris Armstrong then struck a shot which took a deflection, but somehow Jensen managed to push the ball behind.

Against the run of play, Blake struck with ten minutes remaining when he collected a short pass from Wade Elliott and drilled a low left-foot shot beyond Marcus Hahnemann.

[Half Man Half Biscuit]

FULL TIME: Burnley 1 Reading 0
9:42pm Tuesday 28th October 2008

Robbie Blake's super strike gave Burnley a 1-0 win against third-placed Reading on Tuesday night.

Blake, who came off the bench to score at Coventry seven days ago, repeated the feat in the 81st minute at Turf Moor, cutting inside and firing home in spectacular fashion.

The outstanding Blake also hit the side-netting in a 32-minute cameo.

Kevin Doyle hit the post for Reading in the first half and Brian Jensen was in fine form to deny the Royals on several occasions.

He tipped Andre Bikey's second-half effort on to a post and also denied Jimmy Kebe, while James Harper hit the angle of post and bar with a free kick.

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/sport/3799739.FULL_TIME__Burnley_1_Reading_0/

[Far Canal]

Reading Chronicle

Published: Tuesday, 28th October, 2008 12:00

Royals denied by Jensen heroics
By Anthony Smith

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/articles/2/6187

Burnley 1 Reading 0

SUPERSUB Robbie Blake put a dent in Reading's promotion charge with a late winner for Burnley on a freezing night at Turf Moor.

But it was Clarets keeper Brian Jensen who secured man-of-the-match honours with an oustanding display between the sticks.

Blake came off the bench to fire home the decisive goal from the edge of the box in the 81st minute. And that strike would have counted for nothing had it not been for Jensen's heroics at the other end.

The rock-solid stopper made at least eight sensational saves during a lively contest that Royals boss Steve Coppell will be wondering how on earth they lost.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the visitors also struck the woodwork twice on one of the nights when the ball just wouldn't go in.

It has been like that away from the comfort of the Madejski Stadium all season and this was Reading's fourth defeat on their travels - a statistic that seriously threatens to undermine their quest for a quick Premier League return.

And it was also the second game in succession that Coppell's men have failed to score in following the 0-0 stalemate at home to QPR last weekend.

Once the country's leading scorers, it seems as though they simply can't buy a goal right now.

Ironically, Reading's sole away win came at Wolves a month ago when Coppell's men were sensational in a 3-0 victory and the rallying call before this tricky clash was to recreate that special Molineux spirit.

Having stuck with the same starting line-up for six games in a row Coppell hinted there could be changes so he freshened up his central midfield by dropping Brynjar Gunnarsson and Jem Karacan and recalling James Harper and Kalifa Cisse.

Gunnarsson has had a heavy workload both on the international and domestic front since returning from a long-term injury while 19-year-old Karacan is still very much one for the future.

At the same time, Harper has been chomping at the bit after what has been an eventuful few months for the 27-year-old star. He was close to a move to Middlesbrough in the summer, began this campaign as captain then found himself in the reserves as he struggled to regain his place following injury.

Thankfully, Coppell is blessed with options in that position and competition will be even more intense with Marek Matejovsky named on the bench for the first time since damaging ankle ligments at Notingham Forest on the opening day of the season.

However, Burnley are no pushovers. They were beaten 3-1 at the Madejski Stadium just three weeks ago but had lost just once at Turf Moor before Tuesday night's contest..

Yet that record looked under serious threat in the opening period when Royals threatened to score twice.

Jimmy Kebe's cross was just too far in front of Stephen Hunt and brother Noel. Then on nine minutes Kebe controlled the ball on his thigh before firing a ferocious volley which forced a superb save from Jensen who then recovered quickly to block Noel Hunt's follow-up.

If that was lucky, the Clarets were even more fortunate to stay level when Andre Bikey's long ball found Kevin Doyle who cut onto his left foot only to see his low drive from the edge of the box smack against Jensen's near post.

Doyle, whose nine leage goals have all come at home, must have wondered what more he had to do to break his duck on the road.

It seemed as though it was only a matter of time before the visitors scored. But the hosts got back in the game and so nearly snatched the lead with their first real attack on 26 minutes.

Martin Paterson ghosted past Liam Rosenior and squared the ball to Steve Thompson. The burly striker's shot was bravely smothered by Marcus Hahnemann and somehow Royals cleared their lines after an almighty scramble inside the six yard box.

Back Royas came, though. Kebe, who was causing havoc, saw another shot saved by Jensen then the Burnley keeper was forced to back-peddle to tip over a Stephen Hunt cross-shot that was heading for the top corner.

Then Burnley hit back with another good chance a minute before the interval when Joey Gudjonsson lifted the ball back into the box from a half-cleared corner.

Paterson stayed onside and the ball landed perfectly at his feet but his shot lacked power and Hahnemann held on easily.

It was entertaining stuff in the icy conditions and it was Reading who looked the more likely again to break the deadlock at the start of the second period.

Harper's clever free-kick was creeping inside the near post only for Jensen to pull off another crucial save then Rosenior burst forward but his angled shot whistled narrowly wide.

Clarets responded when Hahnemann held comfortably from Christian Kalvenes but it was his Burnley counterpart Jensen who was having the biggest impression on the match.

On the hour mark he dived full stretch to keep out Bikey's diving header from a Harper free-kick then he tipped a Chris Armstrong effort ariound the post three minutes later.

In between that, Harper's inswinging free-kick was flicked on by Kevin Doyle but the ball agonisingly cannoned off ther crossbar then on 68 minutes Jensen denied Kebe with another piece of smart work.

It was going to be one of those frustrating nights. But it soon got worse when Blake picked up the ball on the edge of the box and beat Hahnemann with a low drive into the far corner with nine minutes to go.

Royals huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser but Jensen's goal remained in tact - somehow.

Now they face another tough test this Saturday when they travel to Bristol City for another difficult trip.

Burnley (4-4-2): Jensen - Alexander, Caldwell, Jordan, Kalvenes (McDonald 73) - Elliott, Gudjonsson, McCann, Eagles - Paterson (Blake 58), Thompson (Rodriguez 79). Subs not used: Penny, Van der Schaaf.

Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann - Rosenior, Bikey, Ingmarsson, Armstrong - Kebe, Cisse, Harper, S.Hunt - Doyle, N.Hunt. Subs not used: Andersen. Matejovsky, Karacan, Long, Pearce.

Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire)..

Attendance: 11,538.

[JoeyJoeJoeJnrShabadoo]

Well I must say that I was disappointed when reading the title of this thread "What the press say" instead of "What the papers say", but absolutely appalled when seeing the author was not, in fact, Far Canal but Half Man Half Biscuit. I don't know, some things in life are a constant and any changes to the Status Quo in my opinion are unsettling.

But then along comes Far Canal and just adds to the thread without the blink of an eye.

I like the cut of your jib, sir.

[brendywendy]

nice to see the papers going along with the majority view that we were pretty bloody handy, and dominated the game.
sick of us being so weak though.

[loyalroyal4life]

nice to see the papers going along with the majority view that we were pretty bloody handy, and dominated the game.
sick of us being so weak though.

sick of us not picking up points from performances deemed to be worthy of them.