Source: Daily_Mail
Burnley 0 Blackburn 1: Trouble flares as Brian Laws fumes over harsh call
If this is to be Burnley's farewell to the Barclays Premier League, it is turning into a very sad one. As they slid closer to relegation, losing to their bitter rivals, more crowd trouble flared.[LNB]There were 40 arrests, coming at the end of a week in which the FA launched an investigation into Burnley's game at Wigan, whose goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was hit by a coin from the crowd. [LNB]On the pitch, Blackburn won this East Lancashire derby with a controversial penalty. Burnley manager Brian Laws later accused Olsson of 'conning' the official. [LNB] Delight: Blackburn players celebrate with David Dunn after his penalty for Rovers[LNB]Blackburn scorer David Dunn and man of the match Chris Samba werepelted with coins by frustrated Burnley supporters on their way to apost-match television interview, and an object is believed to have beenhurled at referee Mike Dean after he awarded the penalty when MartinOlsson went down in the 18th minute. [LNB]A bottle was also thrown at Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen from theBlackburn fans as he came in from his pre-match warm-up, and it waslater revealed that 150 seats in the away end had been ripped up andtoilet areas on the concourse badly damaged.[LNB]A Burnley club steward working in that section of the ground wastaken to hospital with back injuries after he was knocked over, andthere were unconfirmed reports of more stewards and several policeofficers being injured in skirmishes after the final whistle as theytried to keep rival fans apart.[LNB]Fighting later erupted in Burnley town centre and there was a heavypolice presence in the streets several hours after the first top-flightderby between these two clubs at Turf Moor in nearly 40 years.[LNB][LNB] Terror in the terrace: Burnley fans clash with police at Turf Moor[LNB]That was despite police insisting on tight controls to containBlackburn fans by making sure they were in the ground two-and-a-halfhours before the noon kick-off. [LNB]Afterwards, the same fans got to revel in their rivals' misery whilethose Burnley supporters not intent on causing trouble drifted awaystill bristling at the injustice of Dean's decision.[LNB]Before they blame it all on bad luck, however, Burnley shouldremember that by no means every marginal call went against them. Justask Olsson.[LNB][LNB] Ferocious battle: Blackburn's Michel Salgado and Burnley's David Nugent are involved in an altercation[LNB]But even Rovers boss Sam Allardyce conceded the penalty was harsh ona side fighting an increasingly futile battle to survive in the PremierLeague. [LNB]'There might only have been slight contact but it's gone for us,'said Allardyce. 'In a big game like this, you need a little bit of luckand perhaps we've had it.' [LNB]Jensen appeared to catch Olsson's trailing leg as he latched on toDunn's flick and went around the Burnley goalkeeper under pressure fromTyrone Mears, but replays showed there was minimal, if any, contactbetween the players. [LNB]The Swedish midfielder certainly went down very easily, perhapsexplaining why Dean did not take any further action against Jensenbefore Dunn ignored the protests to send the goalkeeper the wrong wayfor his third goal in two games and ninth of the season.[LNB] On the run: Blackburn's Martin Olsson holds off Kevin McDonald[LNB] [LNB]'It's clear it's not even a penalty,' said Laws. 'Olsson took a diveand he's conned the referee who was not in a great position. [LNB]'I'm not blaming the player. He's done everything possible to try toget a goal against us through a penalty or his own work, but I'mdisappointed because we want to see honesty and correct decisions. [LNB]'It was obviously a turning point in the game and a massive blow tous. But that's just the way things have been for us of late. We've hadno luck on our side.'[LNB] Celebration time: Sam Allardyce is toasting victory in the Lancashire derby[LNB]Burnley appealed for a penalty of their own when the otherwiseexcellent Chris Samba fouled Wade Elliott right on the edge of the box.Replays showed Dean got that one right, although only the referee knowswhy he did not penalise Jason Brown when the Blackburn goalkeeperclearly carried the ball out of his area in the second half.[LNB]MATCH FACTS BURNLEY (4-4-2): Jensen 6; Means 6, Duff 7, Cort 6, Jordan 5 (Fox 43min, 6); Paterson 5 (Blake 59, 6), Alexander 7 (Eagles 71, 6), Elliott 6, McDonald 5; Fletcher 5, Nugent 6.Booked: Alexander, Duff, Fox.[LNB]BLACKBURN (4-5-1): Brown 6; Salgado 7(Chimbonda 84), Samba 8, Jones 6, Givet 7; Diouf 5 (Emerton 65, 6), Nzonzi 6, Dunn 7, Pedersen 5, Olsson 8; Roberts 6 (Di Santo 74, 5). Booked: Samba, Givet.[LNB]Man of the match: Chris Samba.[LNB]Referee: Mike Dean. [LNB]Rovers, and Olsson, could argue that they too were the victims of some marginal calls. [LNB]He put the ball in the net three minutes before he 'won' the penaltyonly to have his effort ruled out for offside when he seemed to belevel with the last defender, and later saw a magnificent effortrebound off the underside of the bar and on to the goal-line.[LNB]At the other end, Leon Cort's volley was inches wide and Elliott andSteven Fletcher were agonisingly close to connecting with Danny Fox'slow cross late on, but Brown did not have to make one save worthy ofthe name.[LNB]That was real disappointment for Burnley and their supporters. Survival seems highly unlikely. [LNB] [LNB] Burnley 0 Blackburn 1: All the action as it happenedFiorentina join race to sign Blackburn star Morten Gamst PedersenBLACKBURN FC
