Burnley March On, Yeovil Plough On!

The Clarets continued their impressive and unbeaten start to the season on Saturday with another win, this time at home to Championship minnows, Yeovil. To be honest though, we seemed to make hard work of it, struggling for most of the game to create enough chances. Clarets fans had to wait until the 74th minute until the deadlock was finally broken and it was a pretty strange goal at that! Substitute Keith Treacy attempted what looked like a cross that bamboozled the keeper. The rookie debutant keeper, Sam Johnstone had just signed on a three month loan from Manchester United but looked shaky for most of the game when tested by the few chances Burnley managed to create. Treacy`s wind-assisted cross-cum-shot (you decide) seemed to confuse the keeper and he was unable to keep the ball out. The goal though took the stuffing out of the visitors who were playing the Clarets for the first time in their history. Welcome to the Championship you Glovers! With Yeovil`s confidence now gone, Burnley finally notched up a gear and piled on the pressure. Within five minutes of opening their account the Clarets doubled their lead. Danny Ings struck the post with a header and Scott Arfield hit a follow-up which went in off Sam Vokes to make the final score 2-0. It is early days, but Burnley after three Championship games are sitting pretty in 4th spot with seven points from a possible nine just two behind early Championship leaders, Nottingham Forest.

Team Sheet

Michael Duff remained sidelined with his troublesome hamstring injury and Ben Mee did not make the starting eleven as many had predicted. Once again Sean Dyche kept faith with the same starting eleven for the fourth consecutive game and the bench was the same as the Owls match a week previously. The line-up therefore was as follows :

Heaton, Trippier, Lafferty, Long, Shackell, Wallace, Jones, Marney, Stanislas, Ings, Vokes

Subs: Cisak, Edgar, Mee, Stock, Arfield, Treacy, Noble

Full Match Report

Northumberland referee, Scott Duncan in his first game involving the Clarets got the match underway on a showery, windy day in Burnley. The Clarets were soon testing the rookie keeper and in the fifth minute Ross Wallace let rip with a shot from distance that the hesitant-looking Manchester United loanee turned round the post. Burnley though could not capitalise on their bright start and seemed unable to create any meaningful chances allowing Yeovil to find their feet. Sam Vokes attempted a volley on the turn but the ball flew over the bar. James Hayter replied for Yeovil but his shot flew wide of target. Dean Marney burst forward on a run before putting Vokes clear on target. The Welsh international should have done better but could only chip the ball over the advancing keeper wide of target despite virtually an open goal in front of him. Both sides were struggling to take their chances but Yeovil really should have taken the lead ten minutes before half-time. Heaton parried away an angled drive from Paddy Madden but the ball fell nicely to Liam Davis just four yards out with the defence nowhere to be seen. It was an open goal but somehow in what could prove to be the miss of the season, Davis first time effort flew over the bar. Both sides were squandering chances and once again Vokes should have done better and break the deadlock. Just before half-time a typical perfect cross from Trippier found Vokes ideally placed six yards out but the striker could only head over when the ball should have been smashed into the back of the net. Deadlock then at half-time and a pretty frustrating half then for Clarets fans to watch.

Neither team made any changes for the start of the second-half. It was Yeovil who looked the more impressive from the restart with the Clarets struggling once again to create any chances and test the clearly hesitant keeper. Burnley had just one effort in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half with Stanislas curling an effort wide of the far post just before the hour mark. By now the swirling rain and wind were making life difficult for both teams Yeovil defender, Daniel Seaborne came closest for the visitors midway through the half when his header was wide of target. Burnley would have to make some changes if they were to break the stalemate and finally they came with just over 20 minutes of the match remaining, Dyche decided to make a double change bringing off Junior Stanislas and Ross Wallace and replacing them with Scott Arfield and Keith Treacy. Wallace and Stanislas had been pretty ineffective for most of the game and the changes seemed to have the desired effect with the Clarets beginning to look a lot sharper. It was Treacy who would open the scoring with 16 minutes remaining and it was somewhat of a bizarre goal with the wind having a strong part to play! His curling cross from the left wing sailed over the line at the near post with Johnstone flapping like mad and failing to keep it out. A pass from Lafferty moments later found Ings who put Arfield in the clear but after composing himself he could only put his shot across goal and wide of the far post. The second goal though was not long in coming. David Jones swung over a cross from the right flank to find Ings but his header came off the post. The ball though fell nicely for Arfield and he blasted a shot that hit the back of Vokes and flew into the back of the net to make it 2-0 Clarets! Yeovil now knew how tough being in the Championship could be and their heads dropped even more. The Clarets were now in complete control and could easily have made it 3-0. Johnstone tipped over a curling free kick from Jones and the busy keeper then had to save a powerful downward header from Vokes. Vokes could have got that elusive brace just minutes before the final whistle after latching onto a Treacy pass. Yeovil defender, Luke Ayling though was in the right place to clear off the line and Burnley had to settle for a 2-0 win.

Match Stats

Burnley: Heaton, Trippier, Shackell, Long, Lafferty, Wallace (Arfield – 68), Marney, Jones, Stanislas (Treacy – 69), Vokes, Ings (Noble – 90)

Subs Not Used: Cisak, Mee, Edgar, Stock

Goals: Treacy 74, Vokes 79

Booked: Yellow Card for Marney (47), Wallace (50) and Jones (87)

Yeovil Town: Johnstone, Ayling, Webster, Seaborne, Tate (Ngoo – 65), Edwards, Dawson (Ralls – 82), Upson, Davis, Hayter (Hoskins – 65), Madden

Subs Not Used: Dunn, McAllister, Foley, Grant

Booked: Yellow Card for Davis (76), Webster (79)

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

Ref: Scott Duncan (Northumberland)