From Disaster to Disappointment in Derby Draw!

Once again it looked like lucky Blackburn Rovers were going to come away with all three points in the Lancashire derby following a second-half goal in the 68th minute by Jordan Rhodes. Clarets fans were resigned to yet more ribbing from the owd enemy until substitute, Sam Vokes turned up with one minute to go and send the home fans delirious with an headed equaliser. It was nothing less than the Clarets deserved. They were by far the better team enjoying the lion`s share of possession, especially in the first half but simply could not make the pressure count. Rovers` fortunes changed in the second half when they enjoyed an extended spell of possession following the substitution of the woeful and ineffective Pedersen by King in the 55th minute. That spell led to their opening goal when striker Jordan Rhodes scored with a diving header from a Mauro Formica cross to score his second goal against the Clarets this season.

The Clarets kept battling away though before Vokes glanced his low header home from a free-kick in the last minute of normal time. Rovers fans were now sweating especially when the fourth official announced four minutes of added time but despite sustained pressure the Clarets simply could not find the elusive winner that would have given them victory over Rovers for the first time since 1979. A draw is simply disappointing but it could have been far worse. Sadly just a point ensures the Clarets stay behind Rovers who remain one point ahead. Burnley are now 14th in the table on 28 points, five points behind sixth placed club, Watford

Team Sheet

It was a straightforward team selection for Sean Dyche and very much as predicted with Dean Marney making an instant return to the starting eleven following his one match ban against Barnsley in midweek. Marvin Bartley made way returning to the bench. The line-up then was as follows:

Jensen, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Stock, Wallace, Marney, McCann, Paterson, Austin

Subs: Jensen, Lafferty, Edgar, Bartley, Stanislas, Ings, Vokes

Full Match Report

A buzzing, almost full-to-capacity crowd greeted their respective team onto the fever pitch before referee Lee Mason got the game under way! The Clarets too quickly settled into their stride with the visitors at times looking nervous and hesitant. A mis-cue by Marney gave Paterson the chance to set McCann free on goal but his pass just failed to be accurate enough. Wallace under pressure then attempted a shot but it flew over the bar. McCann picking up a pass from an impressive-looking Wallace could only stab his effort wide of target but by now all the pressure was coming from the Clarets and in the 26th minute, Burnley had their best chance yet to break the deadlock. Trippier looking dangerous down the flank put over a cross to find Austin but his volley was well-blocked by Scott Dann to concede a corner. From the corner, Wallace and McCann linked well to create a chance for Shackell but the skipper couldn`t keep his shot down and Rovers had escaped punishment yet again. Now the Clarets began to take complete control but there was always the worry that if they couldn`t make it count and get their noses in front, Rovers could punish the Clarets on the break. Burnley kept plugging away though to find that elusive goal and when Duff found Wallace, the pacy winger flew towards goal before unleashing a shot that needed a shaky parry from Rovers keeper, Paul Robinson to keep out. The former England international keeper though proved his worth after twice making superb saves just before half-time. Another Wallace delivery found the head of Austin and with the ball looking certain to cross the line, it required a flying save by the Rovers keeper to deny the leading Championship goal scorer another goal to add to his tally. A few moments later, Paterson was presented with the ball at his feet and after he shot on the turn the ball looked to be curling into the bottom corner of the net. Once again though Robinson proved his worth; this time flinging himself to the right to make another impressive save. Despite all the pressure from the Clarets though they just could not find that breakthrough goal and had to be content with a 0-0 score-line at half-time

Rovers had to do something in the second-half after the pummelling they had received and just ten minutes from the re-start on came on-loan Manchester United forward, Joshua King. He replaced Pedersen who had struggled in the first half after being given the run-around by Trippier and failing to make any sort of impression. Sadly for the Clarets the substitution seemed to give Rovers the boost they needed and they began to get more-and-more into the game. The visitors nearly took the lead on the hour mark too when Colin Kazim-Richards curled an effort just past the post just moments after Austin failed to get onto the end of a Wallace cross. Now Rovers had their tails up with Mauro Formica in particular beginning to look influential. Hot shot Rovers striker, Jordan Rhodes had been easily contained for most of the game hardly having a shot but in typical fashion he pounced in the 68th minute to open the scoring. Right-back, Adam Henley set Formica free and his cross saw Rhodes dive at full stretch to glance his header home past Grant. It was a bitter body blow for Clarets fans and players alike after all the pressure of the first half and for a time Burnley seemed to have had the stuffing knocked out of them. Now chances came few and far between for the Clarets, the best being an attempt by Shackell after charging forward to get on the end of a knock-down from Austin. He couldn`t keep his shot down though and the ball flew over the top.

There was now just 15 minutes left to play and everybody could sense changes were needed to lift Burnley spirits and try and get back in this game which now seemed to be slipping away. Dyche obliged by bringing on Ings and Stanislas and the fresh legs improved things quite a bit with the Clarets now enjoying some possession of their own and forcing a sequence of corners . The Rovers defence though seemed determined to hold firm as Hanley and Dann impressively kept the Clarets at bay with the clock ticking down. It looked like the disaster was about to happen with one minute to go but Sam Vokes who had just come on a substitute in the 86th minute had other ideas. Stanislas earning a free-kick took it himself delivering the ball over into a packed penalty area. Vokes climbed the highest glancing his header past Robinson into the far corner of the net to become an instant hero and send Clarets fans wild. Could Burnley now get a very late winner? They certainly now pressed for it and there was hope too when four minutes of added time was announced. The closest we came though was when Vokes attempted another header following a cross by Marney. This time though the ball flew frustratingly over the top and the Clarets had to settle in the end for a point! Yes slightly disappointing against the owd enemy but one in which we can take a lot of pride from as well as a lot of positives! At least the Vokes goal was Clarets` first in the fixture at Turf Moor since Boxing Day, 1978 and at long last we had stopped the run of Rovers wins. Let`s turn 'em over at Ewood Park in March instead

Match Stats

Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Stock (Ings - 75), Wallace, Marney, McCann (Vokes - 86), Paterson (Stanislas - 75), Austin

Subs Not Used: Jensen, Lafferty, Edgar, Bartley

Goal: Vokes 89

Booked: Yellow Card for Duff

Blackburn Rovers: Robinson, Mn Olsson, Dann, Henley, G Hanley, Lowe, Formica (Vukcevic - 79), Pedersen (King - 55), Murphy, Rhodes, Kazim-Richards

Subs Not Used: Kean, Givet, Dunn, Ms Olsson, Rochina

Goal: Rhodes 68

Booked: Yellow Card for Murphy

Possession: 57% Burnley, 43% Blackburn Rovers (Source: BBC Sport)

Ref: Lee Mason (Lancashire)

Putting aside the emotional circumstances to this match, if this had not a Rovers derby Burnley in general would probably have been more highly rated as a team as would some of the individual performances. The Clarets completely dominated the first half without making it count and in the end still racked up 57% of the possession by the time of the final whistle. The disappointment of yet again failing to beat the owd enemy could cloud judgement. Michael Duff won the sponsors` Man of the Match award which was perhaps a little surprising but there was no doubting the hero of the ninety minutes with Sam Vokes getting the last gasp equaliser in the final minute to wipe at least some of the smiles off the Rovers fans faces.

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