Source: FOOTYMAD
Jay Rod on the spot as Clarets win
Burnley's pre-season campaign came to an end today with a 1-0 victory against Premier League Sunderland at Turf Moor, the win coming courtesy of a Jay Rodriguez penalty in the first half. Jay Rodriguez scored the only goal from the penalty spot Jay made damn sure he was taking it after it was he who was brought down by Titus Bramble, and that despite strenuous efforts by Martin Paterson. Jay grabbed the ball and wasn't for letting go and he hammered it straight down the middle to beat former Coventry goalkeeper Keiren Westwood. It was a deserved goal for the Clarets in a first half when we played some excellent football with a line up that I suspected might, at this stage, be Eddie Howe's preferred team for the Watford game next week. Today was my chance to see new boy Ben Mee in action for Burnley for the first time. I'd seen Kieran Westwood at Oldham but not having travelled to the South West I'd only previously seen Mee in action against us. Mee had featured for Leicester last season as they beat us 4-0, and both he and Trippier came up against the Clarets' second string in the Barclays Premier Reserve League in the 2009/10 season. I wasn't disappointed with either, and certainly very impressed with Mee. A budding partnership could be developing in the centre of defence with him and Andre Amougou. It was pretty slow paced at times but that was no surprise in today's heat. It was real opening day of the season stuff and I think I'd made a wise decision to take a seat in the much cooler Bob Lord Stand - and in those posh seats behind the directors' box, allowing me to play spot the celebrity as former manager Stan Ternent made an appearance with his right hand men Sam Ellis and Ronnie Jepson (who incidentally works for Neil Warnock). Brian Jensen punched clear early in the game but I'm hard pushed to recall him having much else to do. Sunderland did have a couple of opportunities but they made little of them with probably the best falling to Connor Wickham who fired wide. At the other end, in fairness, chances were also at a premium but Burnley thought they should have had a penalty when Jay Rod, on the right hand side of the box, went down as Titus Bramble got across whilst he was trying a dramatic shot at goal. It was turned away, which I thought was the correct decision, and it was also the correct decision soon after when the same two players clashed again on the opposite side of the penalty area. This time there was no doubt as Bramble caught Jay who hammered in that only goal of the game. 1-0 could, and probably should, have become 2-0 soon after from one of the best moves of the game. Eventually the ball found its way to Wade Elliott on the right hand side but his shot was much too close to the keeper who got down to save. Still, a good first half and then came the changes. There were six at the beginning of the half and, by the time we'd finished, all eleven starters were sat on the sidelines. It disrupted things but in truth we never looked in any real trouble until Ji Dong-Won, himself a substitute, created two chances for himself. Our best opportunity was probably the one that Alex MacDonald, just on as a substitute, spurned. As he made his run on goal he saw Westwood coming towards him. A hard low shot would have surely beaten him but Alex went for the chip and just didn't quite get enough on it. The latter stages saw Steven Hewitt, Joe McKee and Dominic Knowles all get on and there looks to be no doubt that the young players are now going to get more of an opportunity and that's got to be good news. Now it's on to the real thing next week - and Watford. There were enough positives today for Burnley supporters to be eagerly awaiting the season's opener - I just hope it's a bit cooler than it was today. Finally, a well done to a young lad who walked past us on Harry Potts Way around an hour before kick off. I was sat outside the pub with a group of supporters from both Burnley and Sunderland when he walked past sporting a Newcastle United shirt. I'm not sure whether he was unaware of today's opponents, brave or just downright stupid. The Mackems just sat there in total disbelief. Today's teams were; Burnley: Brian Jensen (Lee Grant 45), Kieran Trippier (Kevin Long 67), Andre Amougou (Michael Duff 45), Ben Mee (David Edgar 45), Danny Fox (Brian Easton 45), Wade Elliott (Dominic Knowles 72), Dean Marney (Marvin Bartley 45), Chris McCann (Steven Hewitt 72), Ross Wallace (Joe McKee 72), Jay Rodriguez (Alex MacDonald 60), Martin Paterson (Charlie Austin 45). Subs not used: Jon Stewart, Alex-Ray Harvey. Sunderland: Keiren Westwood, Phil Bardsley, Titus Bramble, Wes Brown (Sebastian Larsson 67), Kieran Richardson, Ahmed Elmohamady, Craig Gardner (David Vaughan 45), Lee Cattermole (Steed Malbranque 45), Jack Colback, Connor Wickham (Stephane Sessegnon 45), Asamoah Gyan (Ji Dong-Won 45). Subs not used: Simon Mignolet, Anton Ferdinand, Louis Laing. Referee: Colin Webster (Shotley Bridge). Attendance: 4,989.
