Late goal earns a point for the under-23s
A Tunde Bayode goal nine minutes from time brought the Clarets level against Coventry this afternoon in the Professional Development League and in doing so earned us a point from a 1-1 draw when a potential against all the odds defeat looked on the cards.
It’s hard to fathom quite how we came so close to losing a game that we dominated virtually from start to finish, but if you give a soft goal away and then miss chances you run the risk of not getting the points you should be getting from a game and even with the one point we will be wondering how we didn’t win it.
For those supporters attending, it was a first opportunity to see recent signings Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Danny Drinkwater in action. Drinkwater played the first half and looked assured and comfortable. He’s expected to play in a behind closed doors game later this week as he steps up his fitness.
Peacock-Farrell, in fairness, hadn’t much to do but he was beaten once after 14 minutes. Max Biamou got onto a long ball which he lifted over the advancing Peacock-Farrell and into the empty net.
That was about as much action as we saw at the Jimmy McIlroy end of the ground in the first half with virtually all of the play at the other end. We dominated but were guilty of missing opportunities that could have taken the game out of Coventry’s reach.
Drinkwater hit a shot way off target but he then set up Rob Harker with the first of three chances that the striker had in the first half. He looked a certain scorer but his weak shot was saved easily by goalkeeper Tom Billson. He then headed a Bayode cross against the post and just before half time he saw his shot blocked following a ball pulled back to him by Anthony Glennon.
Lewis Richardson caused panic in the Coventry defence more than once. He came very close to a goal too in one move but as the half time whistle blew were still, as hard as it was to believe, a goal behind.
Things hardly changed in the second half. Harker was unfortunate not to turn a Bayode cross into the goal while Richardson was twice close to scoring. Ali Koiki, playing in an advanced role on the left, tested Billson who saved well.
Coventry did manage to get a chance themselves but Peacock-Farrell saved and finally with 81 minutes just about on the clock, we did get our equaliser. Anthony Glennon found Bayode with a superb ball across the pitch. The quick wide man moved down the wing but this time opted to come inside and he scored a terrific goal with a shot that flew into the far top corner.
Jordan Cropper replaced the impressive Ryan Cooney (pictured) on the right of defence as we pushed hard for a winner but it was not to be and we had to settle for a point from this 1-1 draw. We deserved more but it could so easily have been less.
The teams were;
Burnley: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Ryan Cooney (Jordan Cropper 83), Bobby Thomas, Jimmy Dunne, Anthony Glennon, Tunde Bayode, Josh Benson, Danny Drinkwater (Adam Phillips ht), Ali Koiki, Lewis Richardson, Rob Harker. Subs not used: George McMahon, Oliver Younger, Christian N’Guessan.
Coventry: Tom Billson, Arlen Birch, Morgan Williams, Declan Drysdale, Junior Brown (George Burroughs 73), Dan Bartlett, Jordan Young, Jonny Ngandu, Max Biamou, Charlie Wakefield (David Bremang 67), Will Bapaga. Subs not used: Cian Tyler, Dexter Walters, Sam Pitts-Eckersill.
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