Pompey see off Burnley to boost relegation fight

December 5, 2009

Portsmouth lifted the gloom around Fratton Park and boosted their Premier League survival prospects with a 2-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday.

Avram Grant’s side won for just the third time in the league this season thanks to second half goals from Iceland defender Hermann Hreidarsson and Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane, who had earlier missed a penalty.

This victory – which lifts Portsmouth off the bottom of the table ahead of Saturday’s later fixtures – was perfectly timed after a week in which the club was forced to confirm that Grant’s squad had not been paid for the second time in five months due to the financial crisis that continues to grip Fratton Park.

Burnley remain in mid-table but Owen Coyle’s side have now lost seven of their eight away matches this season.

“All the players have stuck together, we haven’t been moaning about it (the financial situation), so I think in a way it has got everyone together and made sure we got the points,” Hreidarsson said.

Coyle added: “From our point of view, we had numerous chances to be in front, so we’re disappointed.

“The margins are minimal, a little bit of quality finishing from us and we’d have seen the game off.”

Kevin-Prince Boateng was the first to test Burnley keeper Brian Jensen after seven minutes, when he drove in a vicious shot from 25 yards that the Dane briefly fumbled.

Boateng then laid on a chance for Dindane, but the on-loan Lens striker couldn’t convert his cross.

Steven Fletcher had an equally good opportunity to open the scoring for the Clarets three minutes later when Wade Elliott crossed from the right. Fletcher took the ball on his chest but his shot was scuffed tamely wide.

After a scrappy start from both sides, the game sparked into life as Portsmouth were awarded a controversial penalty in the 31st minute.

Tommy Smith’s cross was controlled by Hreidarsson, who slipped under pressure from Elliott as he went to shoot.

Referee Phil Dowd pointed to the spot but it was Dindane who stepped forward instead of usual taker Boateng.

He hit a casual effort straight at Jensen, who parried it away. Dindane tried to capitalise on the rebound but could only direct his follow-up header back at the Burnley keeper.

Burnley came close to taking the lead after 54 minutes when Kevin McDonald’s rasping shot from 25 yards was tipped over the bar by Asmir Begovic.

Fletcher came even closer to beating Begovic with a dipping long-range effort after 63 minutes.

But the Clarets were hit with a sucker punch in the 65th minute when Boateng found Nwankwo Kanu and the Nigerian’s pass picked out Hreidarsson, who beat the offside trap and shot past Jensen.

Andre Bikey came close to heading Burnley level after 68 minutes, but crashed his effort over the crossbar.

Dindane gave Portsmouth the breathing space they desperately needed in the 83rd minute. He won a free-kick, which Jamie O’Hara swung in deep to the far post for Dindane to direct a powerful downward header past Jensen.

PORTSMOUTH (AFP)

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Villa make their point to reach top four

November 22, 2009

Emile Heskey’s 86th-minute equaliser denied Burnley another home win and lifted Aston Villa back into the Premier League’s top four with a 1-1 draw here Saturday.

Burnley skipper Steven Caldwell had headed in Robbie Blake’s free-kick to give his side a 9th-minute lead that looked destined to settle the match until Heskey got on the end of a James Milner cross.

Villa were visiting Burnley for a league clash for the first time since 1936 but it was the home side who appeared more determined to mark the occasion with a win in the early stages.

After some intense pressure, they went ahead when Caldwell got above Richard Dunne to connect with Blake’s fine delivery from wide on the right. Brad Friedel got a hand to the header but was unable to prevent the ball from ending up in the back of the net.

Burnley threatened to add to their score when Andre Bikey sent a dipping shot fractionally over after a neat lay-off by Steven Fletcher, who enhanced his growing reputation with another energetic display.

Bikey headed wide with an even better opportunity from a corner and Burnley were to pay the price of that miss as Villa gradually came into the match.

Burnley’s Danish goalkeeper, Brian Jensen, was almost embarrassed in the run-up to half-time after racing out to the left edge of his penalty area only to miss the ball under pressure from Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The Villa striker passed to Ashley Young but he curled his shot over.

Agbonlahor might have equalised early in the second half after Friedel’s long punt was flicked on by John Carew.

The striker had only Jensen to beat but as he shot for the far corner the slightest of touches from the Dane diverted it around the post.

Burnley hit back with Blake forcing Friedel to parry a powerful drive before both sides made changes.

Villa brought on Stewart Downing for what was the England winger’s debut for his new club while Burnley replaced Chris Eagles with Kevin McDonald, who quickly set up Fletcher for a shot that Friedel did well to tip over.

Villa boss Martin O’Neill’s last throw of the dice was to introduce Heskey in place of defender Luke Young and the move paid off with four minutes left.

Milner collected Jensen’s under-strength punched clearance and crossed to the back post for Heskey, who outjumped Caldwell to find the net.

BURNLEY, England (AFP)

Tags: andre bikey, Brian Jensen, Emile Heskey, far corner, free kick, gabriel agbonlahor, Goalkeeper, intense pressure, James Milner, John Carew, kevin mcdonald, left edge, premier league, richard dunne, Robbie Blake, skipper, Steven Fletcher, stewart downing, striker, winger

Coyle rates Birmingham defeat above United shock

October 4, 2009

Owen Coyle has hailed Burnley’s 2-1 win over Birmingham as a more important result than his side’s shock 1-0 defeat of Manchester United.

The Premier League newcomers made it four wins out of four at Turf Moor thanks to goals from Steven Fletcher and Andre Bikey, with Sebastian Larsson’s consolation effort for Birmingham coming right at the death.

Coyle said the encounter with Alex McLeish’s side was exactly the kind of match Burnley had to win if they are to preserve their hard-won top flight status.

“Birmingham are one of the teams who are going to be in our group,” Coyle said. “We are not getting carried away, we know exactly where we are and where we expect to be.

“That is why, for me, it was the biggest result of the season. If we can pick up points from the teams round about us that will serve us well for the duration.

“The result against United was fantastic but I really believed we had to answer up after a heavy defeat at Spurs last week. By retaining our 100 percent record at home, hopefully it sends out a message to people that Turf Moor is not an easy place to come.”

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish lambasted his players for giving up once they had fallen behind.

“It was a second half to forget after they scored,” the former Scotland boss complained. “Up to then I thought it was anyone’s game and the first goal was going to be important.

“We didn’t react to the goal, we lost the way we have reacted in previous games and that was disappointing. After that it was a poor performance.”

Lee Bowyer missed a great chance to put Blues ahead six minutes from the break when he failed to finish in front of an open net after Roger Johnson had dragged a shot across the goalmouth.

Fletcher made Birmingham pay for that miss just before the hour mark with a shot that on-loan goalkeeper Joe Hart should have saved.

Cameroon defender Bikey then added a second after playing a one-two with David Nugent and Larsson’s stoppage-time freekick came too late to offer any chance of a comeback.

BURNLEY, England (AFP)

Tags: alex mcleish, andre bikey, Birmingham, cameroon, consolation, david nugent, England, Fletcher, flight status, freekick, Goalkeeper, Joe Hart, Lee Bowyer, Manchester, manchester united, Owen Coyle, poor performance, premier league, previous games, Roger Johnson, scotland, Sebastian Larsson, six minutes, Steven Fletcher, stoppage time, top flight, turf moor

Keane nets four to fire Spurs past Burnley

September 26, 2009

Irish striker Robbie Keane hit four goals to fire Tottenham into the top four of the English Premier League as the London club handed Burnley a 5-0 thrashing at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

After stroking home an 18th-minute penalty, Keane added a hat-trick in the second period after Jermaine Jenas saw his shot take a deflection past Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen for Spurs’ second.

Following defeats against Manchester United and Chelsea, Spurs’ victory sees them sitting in fourth spot on 15 points, three points ahead of Manchester City – who play on Monday – and Aston Villa, who have two and one game in hand respectively.

After going out of the League Cup with a midweek 3-2 defeat by Barnsley, this result left Burnley rooted in mid-table and without a goal or a point away from home in their first Premier League campaign.

Keane opened the scoring when he sent Jensen the wrong way from the spot after Burnley defender Andre Bikey brought down Jermain Defoe.

The visitors were not overawed, however, and even had a Steve Fletcher goal ruled offside.

But it was Spurs who made their pressure tell, Jenas doubling the score with a deflected 20-yarder.

The second-half was all about Keane, firing his second past Jensen into the top corner, securing his hat-trick with a left-footed shot, and nutmegging Jensen off the post for his fourth.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: andre bikey, aston villa, Brian Jensen, CHELSEA, English Premier League, first premier, Hart Lane, hat trick, jermain defoe, league campaign, london, london club, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, offside, premier league, Robbie Keane, second period, spurs, steve fletcher, striker, white hart lane, wrong way

Burnley´s Nugent double stuns Sunderland

September 19, 2009

Burnley striker David Nugent marked his home debut with his first goals since February to give the Clarets a 3-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday.

Nugent joined Owen Coyle’s team in a six-month loan from Portsmouth on transfer deadline day and the England international made an immediate impact on his first appearance at Turf Moor.

The former Preston star hadn’t found the back of the net since scoring for Portsmouth against Liverpool last season, but he finally ended the drought in his 16th game since then to give Burnley a third home win in three attempts.

Coyle’s side, promoted via the play-offs last season, had taken the lead through a Graham Alexander penalty, but Darren Bent levelled before the break.

Then Nugent came off the bench just after the hour and turned the course of the game with two fine finishes.

Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell caused early panic in the Burnley defence with an incisive run and cross which was parried by Brian Jensen and hacked clear by Wade Elliott.

Steven Fletcher had Burnley’s first chance when he took Clarke Carlisle’s pass and drove a powerful shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

The Clarets were on the front foot again in the 12th minute and this time they got the breakthrough.

Anton Ferdinand needlessly tripped Elliott, who was running away from goal in the right corner of the penalty area and referee Chris Foy pointed to the spot.

Burnley captain Alexander stepped up to lash the penalty past Craig Gordon to open the scoring.

Steve Bruce’s team mounted an impressive response to that setback. Bent should have punished a mistake by Andre Bikey but shot straight at Jensen in the 21st minute.

Bent wouldn’t rue that miss for long. In the 39th minute Reid played a superb pass into the Burnley penalty area and Bent, cleverly timing his run to stay onside, slotted past Jensen for his fifth goal of the season.

Campbell almost put the visitors ahead in the 52nd minute when his low drive was blocked well at close range by Jensen after a neat lay-off by Steed Malbranque.

But with clear chances at a premium, Coyle sent on Nugent just past the hour.

It took just minutes for Nugent to make an impact as he met Elliott’s cross from the right and headed past Gordon.

Nugent scored just three goals in 34 league games for Portsmouth, but he had two for Burnley in less than half an hour after curling home a superb strike from long-range in the 86th minute.

BURNLEY, England (AFP)