Our old friends Burnley are in town. Burnley, the sleeping giants of the lower leagues - now how many times have I heard that? More like a hibernating tortoise (© Kev Wellings).
The Clarets aren’t the most popular of visitors, mainly due to the floodlight incident at Turf Moor a couple of years ago. 1 - 0 up, the winners away to Liverpool and the fucking lights go out.
As this part of East Lancashire are still in a pre-decimalisation time-warp it appears that the leccy meter only accepts bobs and shillings and they were all out of them. The strange coinage that is the fifty pence piece won’t go into the meter so we’ll have to come back in five days, pay to get in again and lose on penalties.
Strangely Burnley fans seem to think were bitter and twisted about this. Too right I am.
The Clarets are fairly well supported away from home and this always creates a decent atmosphere under the Bescot roof. Hence the fact that there have been a number of cracking games between the two sides over the past decade and this one can also be added to that list.
The away side started very brightly and should have led when their big number 9 Andy Cooke blazed over ala Ronnie Rosethial. They also grazed the post mid way through the first period. The Saddlers came back however and seized the initiative on the half hour. Porter’s shot was blocked and Brissett followed in to register his first league goal in Walsall colours. The boys saw the half out comfortably and produced some real quality forward movement arguably last sighted in the Kevin Wilson era.
How reassuring it was to hear the cries of “shit ground, no fans” from the away end. Perhaps “nice ground, loads of empty seats and unreliable/very reliable (delete as applicable) floodlights” is a song we could rehearse for the return fixture.
The second half began with a good few minutes for Burnley but they never really tested Wacka. We then got a real grip of the game and should have extended our lead as Porter broke and shot wide when doubling our advantage would surely have been easier. The two Walsall central defenders clashed heads early in the half and both required treatment, as did the referee. The two players were tended to by each team’s physio but the ref was ignored to the great delight of all the fans in the ground.
The match restarted and Burnley soon levelled the game. A great cross and flick on left Clarets front man Gordon Armstrong to head home. In all honesty, it was a real good quality goal. Burnley looked the more likely winners from this point but never really created another good enough chance.
Unlike the Saddlers.
Uncle Ray, unlike much of the crowd, had stuck with Ricketts through the game and his faith was duly repaid in the final minutes. Rico fed Brissett with a inch perfect pass, JB took his time and crossed beautifully for Darren Wrack to head home. The cross was so good that even I could have scored this one – in my dreams.
Wrack was then fouled in the box, got up and converted the spot kick. Rammell wanted it but Wrack told him to where to go. At this point the Burnley fans left the Stadium en-masse, obviously giving up hopes of the lights going out.
Three more points takes the total to ten and the month isn’t over. August has been a good month for us. We’ve shown a real desire to work hard and play to our strengths. Our discipline has been fantastic and the rewards for this have been obvious to see. Is this really the same team that laboured so badly in Scotland? Goodbye August and thank you.