We may have been promoted to the Premier League at the end of 2008-9 but one Championship club we could not get the better of that season was Barnsley. They inflicted the double over us!
We inevitably lost the game at ‘Orrible Oakwell, a ground where we have not won since April 1932! The game was played on the night of Monday 24th November 2008 in front of the live Sky Sports cameras and it looked like we were in for a thrashing with the Clarets 3-0 down after 51 minutes. We clawed our way back though to make it 3-2 in the end thanks to a brace of goals from the on fire Martin Paterson who had come on from the bench in the 55th minute.
The Clarets though came away aggrieved still disputing the Tykes second goal which clearly should have been disallowed. Campbell-Ryce’s shot got a deflection into the net by Simon Whaley but as the cameras clearly indicated the ball came off Whaley`s arm and just for good measure he was standing in an offside position. In the end though a spirited fight back but one that just failed to deliver despite the Tykes being put under considerable pressure by the Clarets seeking an equaliser with nearly 20 minutes still to play.
Barnsley: Muller, Hassell, Foster, Guedes, Kozluk, Whaley, Campbell-Ryce, Colace, Devaney (Leon 10), Odejayi (Coulson 84), Macken, Leon (Van Homoet 84).
Subs Not Used: Mostto, Rigters.
Booked: Foster
Goals: Macken 18, Whaley 48, Leon 51.
Burnley: Jensen, Duff (Rodriguez 88), Carlisle, Caldwell, Jordan, Alexander, McCann, Gudjonsson (McDonald 55), Eagles, Akinbiyi (Paterson 55), Blake.
Subs Not Used: Penny, Mahon.
Booked: Carlisle, Eagles, Paterson.
Goals: Paterson 69, 73.
Ref: Nigel Miller (Durham)
You can read more about this game in our Match Archive by clicking this link:
Burnley Fall Foul of Goal that Wasn`t
If the Clarets were hoping for some sort of revenge in the return game at Turf Moor they would be disappointed. It was played over the dreaded Christmas period on Boxing Day 2008 and true to form we lost it 2-1. Curiously on Boxing Day this year we face Barnsley again but this time at the dreaded Oakwell so we could be in for a miserable Christmas once again unless we can break the hoodoo on this ground. Anyway back to the 2008 version at Turf Moor.
Before this game, we had not lost at Turf Moor since the opening game against Ipswich on the 16th August and the 2-1 defeat ensured that Barnsley became the first team that season to complete the double over the Clarets.
We started the game with high hopes being in fourth spot but by the end being defeated yet again by a team showing the classic signs of midtable mediocrity once more cast doubt amongst Clarets fans that we did not have enough in our armory to secure promotion. Thank god we were all wrong in the end. At least too by the end of this game we were still in fourth position although some of the clubs below us, notably Preston were beginning to make ground on us and panic was setting in.
Coyle had opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation for this clash and we lined up as follows:
Jensen, Duff, Carlisle, Caldwell, Jordan, Alexander, Elliott, McCann, Eagles, Blake, Paterson
Subs: Penny, McDonald, Gudjonsson, Mahon, Thompson
It was a terrible start for the Clarets who still looked hungover and lethargic from Christmas booze and grub even though they hopefully had not touched a tipple. We were simply not at the races and it was no surprise when the Tykes took the lead with only 6 minutes on the clock.
Cureton picked up the ball to shoot past Jensen from 20 yards out and the goal stood despite a suspicion of offside. The assistant referee (still linesman to me) though had not raised a flag and Barnsley had once more scored against the Clarets for the tenth consecutive time.
Barnsley keeper Heinz Muller got his fingertips to the ball from a Blake free kick on 31 minutes with the Clarets now entering their best spell of the game and the pressure finally paid off seven minutes later. Blake left Darren Moore for dead and his lethal precise cross to the far post found Chris McCann who slotted home to make it 1-1. It was the Clarets who now scented blood as they finally began to turn the screw on the Barnsley defence. It remained though 1-1 at half-time.
The Clarets continued where they had left off looking the brighter of the two teams as the second half got underway but it was Barnsley who would again take the lead thanks to a McCann own goal on 67 minutes.
Campbell-Ryce put over what looked like a pretty tame cross but the ball hit McCann (although some thought it was Caldwell) to get a wicked deflection into the far corner giving Jensen no chance.
Although we had seemed to be dominating the second half, it was the Tykes who had taken the advantage and after their second goal we didn`t seem to have much to offer.
Coyle tried to revert to a more attacking formation by bringing on Kevin McDonald for Clarke Carlisle on 78 minutes but even the more aggressive 4-4-2 would not pay dividends.
The lack of the multi-ball system, bizarrely introduced by the referee in the tenth minute was by now really infuriating the Clarets with Barnsley trying all sorts of tactics to wind down the clock. The announcement of five minutes of added time though was a reflection of some of the single ball time wasting antics but it was to be no advantage to the Clarets and it just wasn`t going to be our day and the result finished 2-1 to the Tykes.
You can also read more about this match from our Archive by clicking this link:
Burnley`s Ghost of Boxing Day Past Returns
Oh well let`s hope we have more luck on Tuesday night although I won`t hold my breath on Boxing Day at Oakwell!
Share this article
