Premier League - Burnley maintain home run

Eurosport - Fri, 02 Oct 15:51:00 2009

Burnley maintained their 100 per cent Premier League home record with a 2-1 win over Birmingham City at a windswept Turf Moor.

2009-2010 Burnley-Birmingham Andre Bikey scores - 0

Two early second half goals from Steven Fletcher and Andre Bikey propelled the Clarets into a 2-0 lead.

The home side squandered numerous chances to extend their advantage before Sebastian Larsson scored a brilliant free-kick for Birmingham with the last kick of the game.

During a dreary opening 45 minutes it appeared creativity and ingenuity were off the menu.

The best chance of the half fell to Birmingham's Lee Bowyer in the 39th minute, when Roger Johnson rolled the ball across the six-yard box to the former West Ham midfielder.

Incredibly Bowyer managed to horribly miscue his shot with the goal at his mercy. An early contender for miss of the season.

After the interval both teams came flying out of the traps, but it was the home side, driven forward by their vociferous fans, who drew first blood in the 53rd minute.

Tyrone Mears broke out of defence on the counter-attack and laid the ball into the path of Fletcher who drove a low shot through Joe Hart and into the back of the net.

Fletcher nearly doubled his side's lead before Bikey made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute.

Deployed in a new centre midfield role after a defensive horror show against Tottenham, the Cameroon international escaped two robust challenges and exchanged a one-two with Nugent before slotting the ball past Hart with a cool finish.

Mears brought out the best in Hart with a curling free-kick and Bikey should have scored a second from the resulting corner, sending a free header into the stands.

There was still time for Birmingham to grab a consolation goal deep into stoppage time through Larsson. The Swede curled a superb free-kick past the diving Brian Jensen.

Eurosport

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  1. I have said It before and I will say It again Mcleish­ must go !!! I have currently relocated back to­ Birmingham from Motherwell where we are a laughing­ stock due to that ginger @#$%.
    I could not believe that­ he signed that overated clown ferguson,let alone­ Hart,and why Is he not playing Espinoza as for Oconner­ he Is not A premiership player.
    All his tactics are­ unbelievable,this ginger must go If we are to have any­ chance of staying In wonderland.Personally I think­ Yeung will sack him,here Is hoping!!!!!!!!!

    From khalilm07, on Mon 5 Oct 10:31AM

  2. Dear Eurosport - can you pleae update the Birmingham­ home page? I know the players are Championship, but we­ did go up last season.

    For McLeish to say 'some of­ the players looked tired' is a travesty - these are­ professional sportsmen whose job is to stay fit enough­ to perform for at least 90 minutes (or 100 if­ you're playing Man Utd). Can we please get someone­ to work with Joe Hart on his dead ball positioning? As­ a goalie myself, it's getting increasingly painful­ to watch him set up in the wrong place then run around­ the 6yd box flapping like a chicken on­ steroids.

    McLeish claims to be a schooled in tactics -­ second gae in a row with five across the middle, and we­ end up chasing the game. BCFC do not have the squad to­ play with attacking wingers, so get back to 4-4-2 and­ defend first, then have two up front who can help each­ other creat a chance between them. Or get the­ audiobook of 'The Art of War' it might inspire­ you and the team to show more fighting spirit.

    From Ted D, on Mon 5 Oct 10:19AM

  3. So according to Mcleish they spent the week on the­ training ground learning from their mistakes.
    Hart­ still played mistake 1: O'Conner played mistake 2:­ Only one lone striker (sorry, trade descriptions act)­ Only O’Conner up front mistake 3: Mcleish says he has­ been in the game longer than his critics, well I played­ in successful teams and watched B.C.F.C since before he­ was born, I also studied the coaching manuals. It­ doesn't need to be Einstein to put the right­ players in the right positions and be the difference­ from attack to defence. I think it is Mcleish who­ should got back to school and learn some golden rules­ in football. Stop the other team scoring while doing­ the utmost to score against them.
    Put out players who­ will give blood, sweat and tears and much more for the­ club instead of thinking of their bank balances. I­ asked at the beginning of the season where are our­ goals coming from and still can't see where. Not­ when we only play with one up front, the only proven­ striker we have is Kevin Philips and he spends more­ time on the bench. You will find him in a park near you­ composing his latest training manual, “How to sit­ comfortable on a bench in easy lessons" Mcleish­ uses the excuse the players looked tired. These are­ multi million pound players who have the privilege to­ play football, the supporters are the ones who should­ be tired, they hear the same stories every week,­ players are tired, players are not fit, players are not­ doing their jobs. Well in the real world where I and­ most of the people who pay his and their extortionate­ wages would be sacked, fired, suspended or not paid­ till we did do our jobs properly. Do everyone at­ Birmingham City a favour, take you and your Scottish­ has beens, O'Conner, McFadden and Fergusson back to­ Scotland and rebuild the wall never to return again,­ and drop Hart off on your way. Failing that we have­ Arsenal away next.... Learn the basics in football and­ put out a team that will give blood sweat

    From busdriver, on Sun 4 Oct 1:39PM

  4. Blakey may have left On The Buses but he.s driving­ Burnley up the table.Bring on Blackbur no i cant say­ that name.Super Clarets Del

    From Derek Roy, on Sat 3 Oct 9:03PM

  5. Blakey may have left On The Buses but he.s driving­ Burnley up the table.Bring on Blackbur no i cant say­ that name.Super Clarets Del

    From Derek Roy, on Sat 3 Oct 8:58PM

  6. ****ing Birmingham - always in there at the end with a­ goal. Thankfully this time didn't affect the­ result.

    From Jon C, on Sat 3 Oct 6:21PM

  7. If you play in Claret & Blue the Bluenoses will­ never beat you just aske the VILLA ha ha

    From malcolm.sparkes, on Sat 3 Oct 6:00PM

  8. C'Mon you Clarets

    From bill, on Sat 3 Oct 5:59PM

  9. Blues never beat a team in Claret & Blue Come on­ you Vill (and Burnly) ha ha bluenoses

    From malcolm.sparkes, on Sat 3 Oct 5:57PM

  10. same old birmingham we should be doing better than this­ and on this performance we will struggle to stay in­ this division

    From ron taylor, on Sat 3 Oct 5:56PM
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