Source: FOOTYMAD
Clarets through in cup with no problems
Port Vale at home, given all the current circumstances at Turf Moor, was a banana skin of a cup tie for us, but there were never any real alarms and for much of the game there was nothing but a home win on the cards. Chris Eagles - involved in all four goalsBurnley should beat Port Vale. But of course so should Sunderland and Newcastle beat Notts County and Stevenage. This competition, year upon year, throws up daft results with big clubs on the wrong end of them. I think a lot of Burnley fans yesterday felt that this was one where we could come unstuck, but the reality was that we won it easily.Stuart Gray made four changes to the team that had lost at Reading, but significantly there was only one change to the team that had beaten Sheffield United at home just a week earlier with fit again Danny Fox coming back in at the expense of Brian Easton who had deputised over the previous eight games.In front of what could only be described as a healthy crowd for this game at this stage of the competition we got off to the best of starts. Almost from kick off we came close when Chris Eagles caused them problems down the right and that was very much a feature of the first half with Eagles, into his third game after injury and very much in form, linking with Tyrone Mears and Wade Elliott.In the end it took us just four minutes to get in front but I'm not so sure how on earth Clarke Carlisle came to be unmarked at the far post, but unmarked he was and Eagles found him with a cross from the corner of the box. Clarke virtually had to do no more than head it on target which he duly did.When you're playing a lower division club in the cup it can become a very frustrating game if you can't edge your way in front so this was just the start we needed. Unfortunately the lead didn't last and once again we found another novel way to concede a goal.Vale got the better of Carlisle down their left too easily but then the ball came across the six yard box with no one able to get it away. When it came back in the ball crossed the line before Michael Duff cleared it. There was no flag; we'd got away with it. Not quite; Rob Taylor beat both Duff and Carlisle to the ball and it was 1-1.It had been their first attack of any note and quite honestly we should have been well clear by this point. Thankfully it took us little over five minutes to regain the lead.Eagles really was causing them problems down the right but this time he was in the middle when they stopped him by conceding a free kick. Mears, Eagles and Danny Fox hovered around the ball but it was Mears who managed to get the free kick under the jumping wall and into the bottom corner. The free kick taker is becoming prolific with his second in five home games.For the rest of the first half it really was a matter of whether we could extend the lead. So much of it was coming down the right with some good delivery into the box that perhaps we could have done better with.That third goal didn't come and so we went in at half time with a 2-1 lead and Vale must have been relieved the game hadn't been put to bed.Thankfully that third goal did come very early in the second half and it was the goal of the game and it all came from defending a corner. Elliott brought the ball out and was the architect of it with a brilliant ball that left Jack Cork running free down the left hand side.Cork was supported by Eagles and when a defender came to close him down he slipped the ball to Eagles who crashed in an unstoppable shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.That should have seen Burnley totally dominate the game but it didn't quite happen and Vale were allowed far too much of the play at times during the second half. However, we finally wrapped it all up with a fourth and no surprise to see Eagles involved again.This time he played in Mears who broke into the box before being pushed over. It would surely have been a penalty with most referees and with Eddie Ilderton's Burnley record there was never any doubt. Up stepped Grezza and he fired it into the bottom left hand corner for 4-1.For the fourth time this season we'd scored four goals in a home game but it was Vale who stole the last goal of the game and it was Taylor, their best player by some distance, who got it. A blistering shot from substitute Sean Rigg from 25-yards was parried by Grant. He managed to get it out to the corner of the box but could do nothing as Taylor hit the ball back across him and into the far corner.Overall though it was a very comfortable win and this afternoon we learned the reward was another home game against League Two opposition in the next round, this time Burton Albion.There were so many positives to report from this performance but the same nagging doubts. Going forward we were much too good for Port Vale at times. Eagles, in this sort of form, is a vital weapon for the Clarets.The winger, who desperately wants Stuart Gray to remain in charge, said after the game that his target is to score a goal per game. He got one in this game and played a part in the other three. He and Mears, linking up in the way they did here, can cause havoc against defences far better than Port Vale's. It augurs well for the future.We still need to stop giving away silly goals. When we do that then we are still very much a threat in the Championship.And we're still in the FA Cup and, for someone who was introduced into football in the 1960s when the competition was massive, that's great news for me.The teams were;Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Michael Duff (Andre Bikey 60), Danny Fox, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott (Dean Marney 71), Jack Cork, Chris Eagles, Chris Iwelumo (Steven Thompson 73), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Brian Easton, Ross Wallace.Port Vale: Stuart Tomlinson, Adam Yates, Rob Taylor, Anthony Griffith, John McCombe, Gareth Owen, Louis Dodds (Sam Morsy 45), Justin Richards (Tommy Fraser 78), Lee Collins, Lewis Haldane Sean Rigg 78), Gary Roberts. Subs not used: Chris Martin, Kris Taylor, Matt Bell, Ritchie Sutton.Yellow Cards: John McCombe, Sam Morsy.Referee: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne & Wear).Attendance: 9,442.
