The 4th Annual Rams De-Horning Competition!

Burnley`s amazing sequence of results at Pride Park continued on Saturday with our most impressive win yet following the 3-0 demolition of Derby County. In the last five visits to this ground we have now won the last four after drawing the first one and indeed the Rams have not managed to beat the Clarets now in nine games. We may have one of the smallest squads in the league said to be down to the ‘bare bones`, be suffering a huge debt and be selling all our key players without any sign of much activity in the Summer Transfer window which closes tomorrow but somehow today we are sitting pretty in third spot in the Championship table with ten points from five games. Burnley are just three points behind current league leaders Blackpool and second placed QPR and there is no doubt that Sean Dyche has got this squad punching above their weight despite the obvious deficiencies. Yesterday`s result at Pride Park though was satisfying on so many levels. Tom Heaton won the battle of the keepers helping his side notch up a clean sheet by also saving a penalty whilst our former Number One keeper, Lee Grant would not have been happy to see his former club come out victors and put three goals past him. How satisfying too it must have been for Jason Shackell leading his side to victory against his former club and getting the third goal as well in the 74th minute to effectively kill off the game and secure all three points for the Clarets. There has been a lot of debate whether we need to strengthen our attack following the loss of Austin but Danny Ings and Sam Vokes are having none of it and they both continue to impress in front of goal. Yesterday was no exception with Danny Ings opening the scoring in the 14th minute after muscling his way past Jake Buxton before hitting home a low shot. Not to be outdone, in the 32nd minute Sam Vokes too got on the score-sheet after Derby full-back Kieron Freeman headed across his own area allowing the Welshman to bundle the ball home from six yards out. With the score 2-0 to the Clarets at half-time, it was left to Heaton to save Russell`s penalty in the second-half before Shcakell sealed victory with 16 minutes to play. The Clarets can now take a well-earned breather with the International break now upon us and hopefully they can return fighting fit and maintain their winning momentum in the big derby at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday 14th September.

Team Sheet

Tom Heaton as expected returned in goal after sitting out a one-match suspension. It was perhaps no surprise that Dyche also kept faith in Ben Mee and Michael Duff who both played their first games of the season in the midweek Capital One Cup victory at home to Preston. Both made their first Championship start of the season against Derby at the expense of Danny Lafferty and Kevin Long who once again had to be content with a place on the bench. David Edgar though returned to the bench after starting in midfield on Tuesday night against Preston with Dean Marney regaining his rightful place in centre midfield in partnership with David Jones. In summary then we lined up as follows :

Heaton, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Treacy, Marney, Jones, Arfield, Vokes, Ings

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

Full Match Report

Wakefield referee, Andy Madley got the game underway on a bright, sunny day in Derby and it was the Rams who were soon testing the Clarets. Burnley though easily weathered Derby`s bright start and began to take control of the game. An early warning shot was fired across the home side`s bows in the seventh minute. A clearance from former Burnley keeper, Lee Grant was headed back towards the Derby goal by Dean Marney and the ball was picked up by Danny Ings. In an instinctive one-touch attempt, he volleyed the ball over the advancing Grant only to see the ball fly just wide. The Clarets were now settling into a pattern of good play and a free-kick from Treacy on the left found Ben Mee but he could only head the ball wide with the home fans contingent now beginning to get a little restless. By the 14th minute though the pressure paid off and the Clarets took a deserved lead. Danny Ings picked-up a flicked-on pass from Keith Treacy and from the centre circle went on a charge cutting through the Derby defence like butter before confidently tapping home past Grant with the outside of his foot to make it 1-0 Burnley. Derby were now shell-shocked and reeling with Burnley sensing blood. The Clarets nearly doubled their lead in the 25th minute with Dean Marney chancing his luck from distance. His drive though was not good enough to beat Grant. It was almost inevitable though that Burnley would double their lead, they were so much in control now and Ings in particular was proving a right handful for the Derby back-four. It was the other striker, Sam Vokes though who would score the second goal just past the half-hour mark but Ings yet again would be involved in the build-up. Ings had persevered in the entire match so far trying to win 50:50 balls and it paid off again in style this time! His determination to win the ball set Trippier free down the right flank. Trip`s trademark deep cross then led to a defensive blunder. Derby full-back Kieron Freeman under pressure from that man Ings again, headed back across his own goal only for Vokes to pounce and hit the ball across the line from six yards out to make it 2-0 Burnley with thirteen minutes of the first half remaining. The second goal seemed to wake the Rams up and the remaining last few minutes of the half saw the Clarets under some pressure for really the first time in the game. Johnny Russell fired wide from eight yards out before Chris Martin on the stroke of half time squandered the host`s best chance yet after picking up a knocked-down ball in the six yard box only to launch it into space!

A comfortable lead then for the Clarets at half-time and certainly no need for Sean Dyche to make any changes. Derby gaffer, Nigel Clough though was a worried man and made one change for the start of the second-half. Six minutes into the second half, Derby nearly pulled a goal back. Trippier made a bit of a hash of things and headed a weak back-pass to the keeper only for Russell to quickly pounce. Thankfully though, his shot flew into the side netting with just the keeper to beat, much to the relief of the somewhat embarrassed Trippier! A controversial penalty decision against the Clarets gave the home fans some hope in the 64th minute. Shackell appeared to win the ball at full stretch to deny Martin who was about to attempt a shot on goal. The referee in his infinite wisdom though decided a foul had been made by the former Derby defender and pointed to the penalty spot. Up stepped Russell to take the penalty trying to give the Rams a chance of a fight back but that hope soon evaporated when justice was served after Heaton pulled off a superb save to deny the frustrated striker. Burnley were now boosted by that save and suddenly the home crowd were silenced again as the Clarets once more began to pile on the pressure. Vokes looked certain to score after latching onto a low cross from Treacy but Grant was there to make a point-blank save and deny the former Wolves striker his brace. From the corner conceded though, Burnley got the third goal they needed to avoid any last minute panics. The ball was flicked-on and it fell to Shackell who thumped the ball home into the far corner of the net. Not content with three goals, Burnley even made it 4-0 when Ings got the ball in the net after being put clear by substitute, Junior Stanislas. It was ruled offside though and Burnley had to be content with a 3-0 comfortable and impressive win against one of the in-form sides of the division. The Clarets have amazingly suffered just one defeat in 10 league and cup games now despite the obvious problems both on and off the pitch. Can we keep it up without reinforcements before the Summer transfer window closes tomorrow? That really is the question on everyone`s lips!

Match Stats

Derby County: Grant, Forsyth, Keogh, Freeman (Smith – 46), Buxton, Bryson, Coutts (Davies – 67) Ward, Hughes, Martin, Russell (Sammon – 75)

Subs Not Used: Legzdins, Jacobs, Eustace, Bennett

Booked: Yellow Card for Davies (84)

Burnley: Heaton, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Treacy, Marney (Stanislas – 75), Jones (Edgar – 80), Arfield, Vokes, Ings

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

Goals: Ings 14, Vokes 32, Shackell 74

Booked: Yellow Cards for Jones (23) and Mee (65)

Possession: 57% Derby County, 43% Burnley (Source: BBC Sport)

Ref: Andrew Madley (Wakefield)