FA Cup Exit in Usual Oakwell Rubbish!

In a dire game at Oakwell, Burnley went down 1-0 to a less than impressive Barnsley team who now progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup. The Tykes might have found things more difficult had Burnley not been reduced to ten men following the sending-off of Brain Stock for a second yellow offence in the 36th minute and indeed the Clarets held on until the 85th minute before an error by Brian Jensen allowed substitute Barnsley youngster, Danny Rose to snatch the winner . This was certainly a game to forget, and despite being down to ten men better things would have been expected of the Clarets in a match which had very little action. The truth is Burnley had virtually no attempts on goal in a niggly match that did little to raise the spirits of Clarets fans. This was such a disappointing performance after the highs of Hillsborough on New Year`s Day and once again the result raised doubts regarding consistency and the ability to string two back-to-back wins together even against a side struggling at the foot of the Championship table. We can make excuses that through injury we missed a number of players such as Austin. Mee, Paterson and McCann but then the Tykes too put together a makeshift team having lost the on-loan services of Marcus Tudgay (also injured) and Jonathan Greening who have now both returned to their parent club, Nottingham Forest. Leading goal-scorer, Craig Davies too was also absent from the eighteen amidst rumours he is about to join Championship rivals, Bolton Wanderers. The only bright spot for the Clarets seemed to be the introduction of debutant Dane Richards from the bench in the 68th minute; for a time the Clarets looked a lot livelier but that soon evaporated. We simply have to quickly forget this game, take Stock (except we won`t have him for the next game) and move on, hoping we can get back to winning ways in the Championship when we face Crystal Palace in a tricky home game against the third-placed club next Saturday.

Team Sheet

It was obvious that we would be without Charlie Austin (gluteal/hamstring) and Ben Mee (medial knee ligament) for this clash and in the end Martin Paterson (thigh)and Chris McCann (hamstring) also remained sidelined following their injuries picked up in the previous game at Hillsborough. There was however better news for Dean Marney who returned to the starting eleven after missing out altogether against Sheffield Wednesday due to a thigh injury and Junior Stanislas also made a return after being named on the bench. He had missed the last three games due to a hamstring problem. Brian Jensen was also given out a run out in goal for the first time since the Carling Cup defeat away to Swindon last September. New winger, Dane Richards who only officially signed for the club on the 1st January and who had only just received international clearance was also drafted into the eighteen being one of the seven substitutes. In the end then we lined up 4-1-4-1 with Brian Stock in the holding role. Ings played on the right flank, Treacy out left with Wallace and Marney in the middle supporting Sam Vokes alone up front. The full line-up was as follows :

Jensen, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Lafferty, Stock, Treacy, Wallace, Marney, Ings, Vokes

Subs: Grant, Edgar, O’Neill, Stanislas, Bartley, Fletcher, Richards

Full Match Report

It was perhaps surprisingly a warm, balmy day in Barnsley more reminiscent of spring than winter as Jason Shackell led his team onto the pitch in their blue away strip. The sun though would have little effect in raising the spirits of either team. Wigan referee, Paul Tierney got the game underway, the match soon deteriorating into a pretty scrappy affair with little action at either end. Even comeback kid, Keith Treacy, the hero at Hillsborough could do little to get the Clarets moving into fourth gear. The first 20 minutes passed with few attempts on goal at either end and a dire, stalemate looked to be on the cards for most of the first-half. The game deteriorated into a niggly game and was quickly becoming a massive yawn. Burnley had a chance in the eighth minute when Ings snook in from the right and charged down the middle through the heart of the Tykes defence before setting up Sam Vokes. Vokes though on the left side of the area got his angles all wrong and his shot curled past the keeper, Luke Steele only to fly just wide of the far post. A Wallace free kick from the left flank led to Duff heading over the bar before Wallace himself forced the Tykes keeper into saving his deflected cross underneath the crossbar. If Burnley were creating few chances, Barnsley were creating even fewer! Harewood had been quiet for most of the first-half but he was then involved in a controversial booking. The incident involved Brian Stock off-the-ball and both finished up with a yellow card. Both players appeared to fall out as the home side lined up a free-kick and in the end the referee decided to penalise both players even though Sean Dyche seemed pretty sure, Stock had been the innocent party. In isolation, it was just one of those bookings but for Stock the significance became clear when he picked up a second-yellow card for a blatant foul and was sent off with eight minutes to go after tugging O`Brien`s shirt just as he was about to line up a shot. With Burnley now down to ten men the home side sensed blood. David Perkins hit a shot from distance that curled just over the bar and then with seconds of the first-half remaining Scott Golbourne was ideally placed on the left side of the box but made a hash of his shot blazing it over the bar much to the relief of the Clarets!

Burnley now had to regroup and Dyche made the decision to replace Treacy with Edgar for the start of the second-half. The Clarets though continued to huff and puff without creating any chances and it was Barnsley who looked the most likely to score. Just 90 seconds from the restart, Stephen Dawson had a glorious opportunity to give the Tykes the lead. He picked up the ball on the edge of the box following a half-cleared corner but he miscued his effort and it bobbled away off-target. Dawson then had another chance which he fluffed 10 minutes later following some methodical Tykes build-up play down the left flank. Burnley attacks were few and far between with Sam Vokes now looking extremely isolated alone up front. On the hour mark though Vokes flicked on an Ings kick to find Wallace who cut the ball back to the Welshman. His shot though from just inside the area flew wide of target and the deadlock remained. It was now time for Dyche to introduce a fresh pair of legs so on came pacy winger, Dane Richards to make his debut with Wallace being the man replaced after 68 minutes. The Jamaican international was soon in the action too immediately winning a corner after sprinting down the right flank to liven up a Burnley contingent of over 1300 fans almost asleep with boredom! The winger was ready to impress again a few minutes later after this time charging through the middle before being tackled as he was about to line up a shot. It was the Oakwell curse that struck four minutes from time though just as it looked like a replay at Turf Moor might be on the cards. Brian Jensen was sadly to blame after misjudging a Scott Golbourne attempt that was more hopeful than accurate. The hapless keeper could only tip the ball onto the face of the crossbar before it fell nicely for substitute, Danny Rose to thump the ball into the roof of the net from six yards out to send the Clarets crashing out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage for the second season running. A game to quickly forget and one I already have! Let`s return to the more serious aim of trying to get promotion! Bring on the Palace at home next Saturday and consign this mess of a cup tie to the dustbin of history!

Match Stats

Barnsley: Steele, Dawson, Cranie, McNulty, Perkins, Golbourne, Kennedy (Cywka-67), O`Brien, Stones, Harewood (Noble-Lazarus-85), Dagnall (Rose-82)

Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Foster, Etuhu, Hassell

Goals: Rose 85

Booked: Yellow Cards for Harewood (24 mins) and McNulty (87 minutes)

Burnley: Jensen, Trippier, Duff (Bartley-83), Shackell, Lafferty, Stock, Treacy (Edgar-46), Wallace (Richards-68), Marney, Ings, Vokes

Subs Not Used: Grant, O’Neill, Stanislas, Fletcher

Booked: Yellow Card for Stock (24 mins) and then sent off for second yellow on 36 minutes. Yellow card for Marney (84 mins)

Possession: 49% Barnsley, 51% Burnley (Source: BBC Sport)

Ref: Paul Tierney (Wigan)