Following on from the thread 'best ever Burnley goal' viewtopic.php?f=2&t=77016 , how about the best performance you've seen from a player playing for Burnley?

The obvious one for me off the top of my head is Robbie Blake in the 2nd leg of the Carling (league) Cup semi-final 2008-09.
Blake ran the game causing Chris Gunter all kinds of problems all night. He scored a superb free kick upon seeing Ben Alnwick a bit off his line and turned Gunter inside and out before pulling it back across the box setting Chris McCann up to make it 2-0.

Obviously we all know how that ended but for me that was Robbie Blake at his absolute best... if you want to relive the heartache then here you go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXWBh47Jar0

Your picks, Clarets?

Ade Akinbiyi,

NOT at Luton when he got his hat trick, but at QPR when we won 4-2. Quite simply unplayable.

Tom Heaton - United (a) - can't remember the year but I am sure most know the game!

I always remember Dean Marney having a stormer away at Millwall around 2012. Think we won 2-0 with ings & vokes scoring. He bossed the midfield that day.

Poulton-le-Claret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 12:43 pm

Tom Heaton - United (a) - can't remember the year but I am sure most know the game!

That the 0-0 when he expertly denied a Zlatan Ibrahimovic scissor kick attempt? 2016 I believe!

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 12:48 pm

That the 0-0 when he expertly denied a Zlatan Ibrahimovic scissor kick attempt? 2016 I believe!

That is the one! Heaton was like a brick wall in front of our goal that day

Ralph Coates in our 5-1 win at home to Leeds. ‘68ish

Beast vs Reading at home in our promotion season under Coyle deserves a mention

Barton in the 1-1 draw v Boro, not sure of the year, was targeted early doors responded with one hell of a performance, watching him talking to the rest of the team when we went one down you just sensed we were going to get something out of the game, at one point he cleared Ben Mee out when challenging for a header

Bit of an odd one i know,but Micky Finn in goals v Man City in the FA youth cup early 70s,nothing was getting past him that night and even saved a pen in the last minute. It was a similar performance done by Chris Pearce at Bradford away in the Sherpa Van or whatever it was called then and i think he saved a pen too from what i recall

Blacklaw v Sheff Wed - FA Cup 1961
Waiters v Oxford - FA Cup 1971


But how about Robbie Blake in that League Cup semi against Spurs?

Andy Lochead at home to Bournemouth FA cup replay.
They couldn't handle him and with Coates & Morgan swinging over crosses he scored five headers in a 7-0 demolition.

Brian Jensen against Reading in the Coyle promotion season.

The best goalkeeping performance iv seen ever.

Claret Till I Die wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 12:57 pm

Beast vs Reading at home in our promotion season under Coyle deserves a mention

Nothing was beating him that night

Claret Till I Die wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 12:57 pm

Beast vs Reading at home in our promotion season under Coyle deserves a mention

I was sat behind his goal in the second half and he was amazing. Never seen us get someone from such a one sided game. Shame he was inconsistent, but he had some amazing performances in him……and some ridiculous ones

Glen Little had a couple of games where the opposition just couldn't live with him. Bradford away when Tony Ellis bagged the winner always springs to mind.

fat bob june 12? 2019 walking football against rovers two fantastic saunters with some gravity defining hip swaying - they beat rovers 3-2

Stephen Ward in this game: https://www.skysports.com/football/stok ... ats/313506

Phenomenal defensive performance.

Ashley Barnes bullied Man City’s defence in one of our rare good performances against them a few years back at their place.
Think it may have finished 2-2.

ClaretsPadiham wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 1:47 pm

Brian Jensen against Reading in the Coyle promotion season.

The best goalkeeping performance iv seen ever.

Jensen was incredible that season. His performance against Arsenal in the League Cup also comes to mind

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 3:31 pm

Glen Little had a couple of games where the opposition just couldn't live with him. Bradford away when Tony Ellis bagged the winner always springs to mind.

Same weekend England beat Germany 5-1, great weekend. I can't think of a better individual performance from a Burnley player than Little that day.

Probably does not top some of those previously mentioned, but one that sticks in my mind is a Roger Eli hattrick in that promotion season. I think it was 1991 / 1992 but I cannot recall who it was against

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 3:31 pm

Glen Little had a couple of games where the opposition just couldn't live with him. Bradford away when Tony Ellis bagged the winner always springs to mind.

Most games in the first half of that season. Birmingham and Preston away. They were both 3-2 wins too.

January 1970,Turf Moor, Ralph Coates in the midweek FA Cup replay against Chelsea.

He was unplayable in the first half and scored a 25 yard screamer in to the top corner at the Beehole End to put Clarets 1-0 up at half time.

Second half Chelsea clogged Ralph out of the game and Clarets lost 1-3 after extra time.

Chris Eagles at Bramall Lane in the Coyle promotion season (?) might be worthy of an honourable mention.

Jensen did a few in the league and cup in 08/09 season, Blake v Spurs in semi final but for me Ward away at Stoke always stands out he was phenomenal that day.

Tricky Trevor wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 12:55 pm

Ralph Coates in our 5-1 win at home to Leeds. ‘68ish

It was the most accomplished performance of any player that I've ever seen. He destroyed a team that only lost twice all season (The other defeat being against Man City 2-1)

Match report via this link http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/matches/19681019.htm

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 7:23 pm

Most games in the first half of that season. Birmingham and Preston away. They were both 3-2 wins too.

Yeah the midweek game at Brum he ripped them to shreds. Still don't know how we didn't even make the playoffs that year.

jdrobbo wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 12:39 pm

Ade Akinbiyi,

NOT at Luton when he got his hat trick, but at QPR when we won 4-2. Quite simply unplayable.

Andy Cole?

Gary Cahill's debut is one that stands out for me. Obvious from the start that he would prove to be a proper player.

John McGreal was the perfect mentor for him too.

daveyclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 7:54 pm

January 1970,Turf Moor, Ralph Coates in the midweek FA Cup replay against Chelsea.

He was unplayable in the first half and scored a 25 yard screamer in to the top corner at the Beehole End to put Clarets 1-0 up at half time.

Second half Chelsea clogged Ralph out of the game and Clarets lost 1-3 after extra time.

It was a screamer! I can still see it in my mind's eye. I was going to add it to best goals by a Claret

Chris Pearce away at Bradford 1990 (I think) Leyland Daft cup. They absolutely hammered us and he played a blinder and still to this day I've never seen a better singular performance, saved a penalty too shooting into their kop end which was heavily populated by Clarets.

wooooosh wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 8:22 pm

Andy Cole?

No, Cole was also great and obviously got his three goals, but Ade’s work alongside him was phenomenal.

Harry Thomson , God in a green jersey!

Boxing Day 1963, Willie Morgan absolutely destroyed Man Utd. On a different level I remember the first time I saw Willie a little earlier when he was unplayable in a Youth Cup game against Grimsby.

Vim Fuego wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 7:18 pm

Probably does not top some of those previously mentioned, but one that sticks in my mind is a Roger Eli hattrick in that promotion season. I think it was 1991 / 1992 but I cannot recall who it was against

Chesterfield

TintoVerano wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 8:38 pm

Chris Pearce away at Bradford 1990 (I think) Leyland Daft cup. They absolutely hammered us and he played a blinder and still to this day I've never seen a better singular performance, saved a penalty too shooting into their kop end which was heavily populated by Clarets.

I put a video up on this site a few week back of that night at Bradford.
It's on YouTube if you want to watch it.

John Francis away at Plymouth in the play offs.

Adrian heath Sheffield United away fa cup 92 I think until he got sent off

Kevin Ball v Rovers season of 2000.

Greenmile wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 20, 2024 8:08 pm

Chris Eagles at Bramall Lane in the Coyle promotion season (?) might be worthy of an honourable mention.

All the other players, and you're trying to choose from their top 5.

Not that Eagles was hopeless at all, but as soon as you mention him on this thread, everyone knows the one game you mean. A 10/10 performance in a career of 6s.

Paul Barnes V Stockport

I'd never seen it before and I doubt I'll ever see a Burnley player score 5 goals in a game ever again

Steve Kindon, Burnley - Notts County 12th Nov 1977.

We were bottom of Division 2 with 6 points after 14 games, with one win and four draws. Harry Potts was our manager in his second stint and he had just bought in Kindon, returning from Wolves, and Brian Hall, ex Liverpool but then at Plymouth.

Kindon was unplayable. We knew what was coming. In his unique way he would be warming up on the left wing, the ball would come to him, he'd push it forward and with his pace and strength just steam after it pushing aside any defender that dared to get in his way. A cross would come in or if he'd gone direct for goal, a shot. He did this time and time again, not just in this game but the rest of the season.

He inspired the team (and the fans) and it lead to Burnley finishing comfortably in 11th place.

Frank Casper away to Spurs midweek 1973. The man with the magic boots at his very peak before he was hacked down in the return a week or two later which was the beginning of the end for him as a player.