Burnley Invincible in Ipswich as Records Tumble.

A 1-0 victory at Portman Road, only our second on this ground and our first in 44 years ensured the Clarets notched up their best start to a season since 1897! It was a superb day in Suffolk for those fans that made the long trek down. A Scott Arfield goal in the 80th minute was enough to score all three points over Ipswich and keep the Clarets in top spot in the Championship. Our nearest rival QPR who we face at Turf Moor next Saturday in our next game also dropped points away to Millwall. Jermaine Easter’s stoppage-time goal earned the Lions a 2-2 draw and that result means QPR are now two points behind the Clarets albeit with a game in hand. A win or draw next Saturday will ensure we remain in top spot with third place Leicester three points adrift of Burnley. These are truly remarkable times and once again the team did us proud. Ipswich were certainly no pushovers but we soaked up all they could chuck at us with our defence holding firm. To be honest neither side created too many chances but our midfield buzzed at times and the attack looked sharp. Burnley have now won six games in a row including four on the road, are undefeated in ten and have only lost one match all season away to Brighton. My gawd can we truly dream once again despite all the odds? I think we can

Team Sheet

The Clarets were unchanged from the team that beat Reading at Turf Moor before the international break two weeks ago. The eighteen then was as follows:

Heaton, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Arfield, Marney, Jones, Kightly, Vokes, Ings.

Subs: Cisak, Lafferty, Stock, Long, Edgar, Treacy, Stanislas

Full Match Report

670 Clarets managed to make the long journey down to deepest Suffolk for this game and confidence seemed to be flowing despite the fact we had not won on this ground since 1970. Oxfordshire referee, Graham Scott got the game underway on an overcast but generally pleasant day in Ipswich. It was the hosts who started the brighter putting the Clarets under some early pressure. Shackell got in a block to deny McGoldrick from a tight angle and Ipswich were trying everything they could to supply target man Daryl Murphy up front. Few real chances were created though and Burnley`s defence did not buckle despite the early Ipswich possession. The Clarets too though were finding chances few and far between and visiting fans had to wait until midway through the first half before Burnley created their first real chance. The Clarets had been trying to confuse the Ipswich defence by swapping the flankers. Kightly was now on the right flank and charging forward he fed Scott Arfield. He could only scuff his shot though from 18 yards out. Just past the half-hour mark, a characteristic cross from Trippier allowed Ings to flick on the ball to Vokes. The Welshman could only volley his shot over but it wouldn`t have counted anyway with the linesman raising his flag after Vokes was adjudged marginally offside. A few minutes later and Burnley came close to breaking the deadlock after a superb through ball from Marney found Trippier who powered over a cross. Agonisingly both Vokes and Ings could not get a foot on the ball as it flashed across goal. Ings felt he may have been pushed too but the referee waved play on. During the melee though Blues keeper, Dean Gerken picked up a knock which led to him being substituted seven minutes later with Scott Loach taking over. The game had been pretty scrappy up to now but the substitution seemed to inspire the home side and the match suddenly came to life with Burnley on the back foot. In the last minute of the half, Ipswich had two golden opportunities to go into the dressing room at least 1-0 up at the break with Colo Skuse involved in both attempts. Heaton could not get enough power behind a punch and the ball fell to the England U21 midfielder. Skuse unleashed a powerful shot only to see his effort blocked on the line by Kieran Trippier. A few seconds later, Skuse was at it again. This time from 25 yards out he thumped a rising shot that flew inches wide of the left hand post with Heaton diving at full stretch to try and save it. The first half came to a close then in deadlock although the visitors would probably have been the happier of the two teams.

Neither side made any changes for the start of the second half, and this time it was the Clarets who came out with all guns blazing. After just six minutes from the restart, Vokes was put through in the clear but he decided to delay his shot allowing Blues defender, Luke Chambers to do enough and deny the Welshman an effort on goal. The Clarets thought they might have had a penalty just before the hour mark when Marney in the penalty area was charging towards the by-line. Before he could gather the ball, he appeared to be pushed in the back and finished up injured after crashing into the hoardings behind the goal. Burnley temporarily reduced to ten men whilst Marney received treatment nearly paid the price when Anderson fired a shot just wide of target. The game was now a more entertaining spectacle becoming a more open affair with more chances being created after a relatively scrappy first half. Kightly cutting inside from the left wing brought out a save from substitute keeper, Loach but time was ticking down and a 0-0 draw looked inevitable. However, Burnley had other ideas and with ten minutes to play in an inspired move, Trippier charged forward to pick up the ball from a Jones header to once again deliver one of his trademark crosses. This time, Arfield was ideally placed to flick home a header just inside the near post to send all Clarets fans into ecstasy. Ings nearly doubled the lead with the game adding towards injury time but his shot flashed just over the angle. Burnley now had just three added minutes to hold on which they managed to do with no real threat from the home side. The final whistle went and 670 Burnley fans could at long last celebrate victory at Portman Road safe in the knowledge the Clarets would remain at the top of the league. Amazing times and remarkable results! Long may it continue!

Match Stats

Ipswich: Gerken (Loach 38), Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Anderson (Tabb 86), Hyam (Nouble 85), Skuse, Tunnicliffe, Murphy, McGoldrick

Subs Not Used: Hewitt, Mings, Edwards, Marriott

Booked: 0

Burnley: Heaton, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Arfield, Marney (Edgar 88), Jones, Kightly (Treacy 82), Vokes, Ings.

Subs Not Used: Cisak, Lafferty, Stock, Long, Stanislas

Goal: Arfield 80

Booked: 0

Possession: 54% Ipswich, 46% Burnley (Source: BBC Sport)

Ref: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire)