Clarets off the mark against Cardiff
Burnley picked up their first points in the Premier League Cup Group B with a 3-1 win this afternoon against Cardiff City at a bitterly cold Turf Moor.
A Patrick Bamford opener and two goals from Ashley Barnes, who also picked up a late yellow card, were enough to give us the win although it was only in the second half when we really got the better of the Welsh side.
It’s always difficult to determine what team we might turn out for what is a development squad game. Today we took advantage of the rule that permits three over age outfield players by naming Tendayi Darikwa, captain Kevin Long and Barnes as well as goalkeeper Nick Pope. We also started the game with two members of the youth team down the left hand side, Ali Koiki and Nashé Chakwana.
Cardiff started the game looking the more likely and forced Pope into a couple of good saves, but then the game turned Burnley’s way when we took the lead in the 15th minute. Brad Jackson (pcitured) was the architect. He won the ball against the odds down the right hand side before pulling the ball back for Bamford to turn in at the near post from close range.
And six minutes later we looked to be in command when Jackson got another assist, this time seeing his left wing corner headed home by Barnes.
The lead was a bit flattering but Cardiff did pull one back twelve minutes before half time when a free kick seemed to take a touch off Macauley Southam before beating Pope who had probably been our best player in the first half.
He didn’t have nearly as much to do after the break with Burnley in control for much of the second half. With only six minutes gone it was 3-1 and again it came from a left wing corner taken by Jackson. This time though he couldn’t claim the assist, that went to Jimmy Dunne who got the ball back in for Barnes to score.
Although there were still 39 minutes to play, Cardiff didn’t suggest they would get back into it and we might have had more goals. Twice Bamford was close, as was Jackson, and Barnes fired a shot onto the roof of the net, being denied a hat trick by inches.
We made some changes, giving some of the younger players some time on the pitch and there was just that one late hiccup when the referee deemed Barnes had committed a foul worthy of a yellow card. The crowd, it has to be said, did not agree with the referee.
That’s one win and one defeat now with game number three coming up in just under four weeks. That’s Sunderland away with the game scheduled for Sunday 4th December at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare ground at Hetton-le-Hole.
Today’s teams were;
Burnley: Nick Pope, Tendayi Darikwa, Jimmy Dunne, Kevin Long, Ali Koiki (Mark Howarth 72), Brad Jackson (Olatunde Bayode 83), Aiden O’Neill, Arlen Birch, Nashé Chakwana (Dwight McNeil 61), Ashley Barnes, Patrick Bamford. Subs not used: Conor Mitchell, Taofiq Olomowewe.
Cardiff: Luke O’Reilly, Dylan Rees Jordan Blaise ht), Rhys Abbruzzese, Ash Baker, Rollin Menayese, Tom James, Macauley Southam, Marco Weymans (Jarrad Welch 72), Eli Phipps, Tommy O’Sullivan, David Tutonoa (Ibby So Sani 83). Sub not used: Oliver Byrne.
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