Eircoms a Bohemian Rhapsody!

The Clarets of course are not on League duty this weekend after Coventry`s game was postponed due to the Sky Blues success in the FA Cup. The match originally scheduled for this Saturday will now take place on Tuesday February 26th with a 7:45pm kick-off time.

Being at a loose end therefore, Owen Coyle jumped at the chance of playing a friendly against Eircom side, Bohemians over in Ireland.

The Clarets will play the Dublin-based side at Dalymount Park tonight(7:45pm kick-off time)

The Bohemians gaffer, Pat Fenlon is a close friend of Owen Coyle, and he thought up the idea several weeks ago after Burnley’s FA Cup exit against Arsenal.

Coyle has said about the game:

‘We have boys needing a game and I didn’t want the rest of the boys to be idle.

‘In the bigger picture, there is also well of talent in Ireland to tap into. Ireland has served us well as a football club over the years and if there are young players out there looking for opportunities, then I want them to see Burnley as a club that will give them a chance.

‘Going out there, spreading the good name of the club and enjoying the company of the Irish people gives us a better chance of landing them and if that happens, then all good and well.’

One player who will feature at some stage of the game will be Clarke Carlisle, now recovered from his niggling hamstring injury. Michael Duff also sounds close to a return and may have been considered for this match but for family reasons with his wife expecting their first child at any time.

Berisha is still not fit enough to be considered after his long-terms cruciate ligament injury and Alan Mahon is also still suffering from his niggling groin injury. Both players however would appear to be close to a return.

We can expect some of the fringe players in the squad to get a kick tonight, I would have thought we could expect to see Kiraly, Jones, Garreth O`Connor, Jordan and maybe even young Adam Kay feature at some point in this friendly.

Although, we perhaps didn`t bring in too many players during the January transfer window, the news that Duff, Carlisle, Mahon and Berisha are close to returning only enhances our chances of reaching the play-offs and gives us that additional depth in the squad along with the new loans, Varga, Cole and Randall.

We seem to be on the up all of a sudden and well placed in 7th place one point only behind sixth placed club Ipswich. Let`s hope we can continue to progress when we reconvene our play-offs challenge away to Plymouth a week this Saturday.