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SON OF SOBS: BURNLEY

Boring Burnley had a decent side and a home record to match. However, they'd only won half of those games, the rest of them being draws. Unbeaten at home? A perfect time to spoil their party. Or so we thought...


Friday night's affair saw a first start for Enzo and a few first team regulars form a formidable bench. Roberts, Mayenda and Aouchiche looked liked an excellent Calvary to call upon, if needed. Thunderbird puppet heart throb Scott Parker lined his men up with a few decent Premiership loanees.


We absorbed Boring Burnley's early press and started with our usual approach - on our back foot and looking for the break. We soon caught them as the fastest man on Wearside Wilson was stopped by a solid challenge from being one-on-one with the keeper. There was some decent noise from the home fans, but our travelling hoards soon drowned them out. Wilson saw himself on goal again and did everything right apart from get it on target, pinging it off the post.


Cirkin was taking his time getting up to speed with their leggy right winger, Jaidon Anthony, who had his life throughout the match. He had more crosses than the Vatican gift shop. Cirkin managed to control him with a textbook professional foul early on but he wouldn't get away with that all night. Pull your socks up, Dennis.


The Clarets tried their best to batter us but we dealt with it reasonably. We didn't look phased, but we didn't look fired up either. Several more crossed from the right rattled us but we pressed them right back. Big Tony Patterson was strong (I definitely think he's worthy of a Tony by now) but it was beginning to look like a goal from boring Burnley might be on its way if we didn't start dealing with their delivery.


The red and white rabble in the Barnfield Construction Stand let out a chorus of 'We love you Sunderland, we do' and this seemed to get our blood pumping. Enzo had his first chance to show what he could do with a dead ball. Aside from an over-zealous early cross he'd hit all the way back to Wearside, he had shown some very promising signs. He promptly played in an excellent free kick that sadly found no one. He's the clear first choice for dead ball specialist.


Izzy tried the spectacular, but as we were to find out later, it wasn't to be his night. LO9 went on one of his adventures and as usual didn't release the ball early enough. He's definitely getting the hang of it though. We were starting to look more of a danger but Anthony still had more crosses than the Vatican gift shop... or a polling station. Too much? More than a noughts and crosses tournament?


I'm doing this from Friday night's notes. I had a couple of beers to celebrate an impending week off. Some of the notes are better than others. The next one simply reads 'sh*te goal kick'. I can't really remember that bit, but I'll take my tipsy word for it.


Half time happened and we went down the turn to play with the etcher sketchers for a bit. We'd slowly improved during the first half whereas Boring Burnley just looked the same - solid.


We slightly ramped things up in the second half. Pixar's next lovable robot, E-STEVE, assimilated our attacks. The away end got even loud with the unmistakable sound of a the back of the stand getting banged. Me and our Ian once did that at Sheffield, that was also the first time I remember getting tinnitus.


Bellingham was strong as an ox. I'd like to see him be given the freedom to play a bit further up the pitch but our squad is overloaded with players who fit that role. Still none of the strikers though. Boring Burnley were looking wobbly. No 60 minute subs as usual. What can I say? I'm a fan. The conservative clarets forward, Zian Flemming, tried his hand and fell over as if he'd never seen someone fall over before.


RLB decided 77 minutes was a good time to bring on Eli and he put his foot to the floor. We could have done with the young Spaniard seventeen minutes earlier though. What? Every single other team does it? He caused them problems from the get go.


10 minutes later, after a very soft foul the opportunity to wreck Boring Burnley's home record was gifted to us on a plate. But it just wasn't to be. I'm not alone in saying that Wilson doesn't score ordinary goals. 10 minutes later Deja vu struck. Soft penner, up steps Isidor again, laces through it, saved in the bottom left corner.


It was catch 22. Was it worth doubling down on? We'll never know.


This was the point I chose to have a couple more beers instead of typing up my notes. The full time whistle blew, Turf Moor erupted and Wilson fell to pieces. He practically melted. Distraught is not the word. Enzo pealed him off the floor and our players rallied round him. Even the Boring Burnley players consoled him. He was led, doe eyed, over to our fans who stood and applauded him. I hope the white noise cleared and he took that support in. I don't think I've ever seen a player look as shell-shocked as that. But if he can come back from that he can come back from anything. I wanna see that big daft smile again.


Another we weren't lethal enough. Boring Burnley were boring. With the right string of results and a striker before the end of January we've still got more than a fighting chance. Our press is fine, we just need to do three days of shooting practice. Onwards to Derby on Tuesday. Chin up, Izzy.


Keep the Faith,

GPD


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