AB's Match Report: Enjoyed last night's game tremendously. (Too many words).

Getting the result out of the way, it was never a 3-0 game. Burnley were the better team in the first half, and deserved a one goal lead at HT. Second half City were the better team, particularly when Earnshaw came on to show a touch of real class. Second goal was against the run of play and out of the blue. Then City, understandably, stopped bothering.

The officials were clowns. The referee, and this is a "premiers**t" referee remember, was the most clear example of a homer I have watched in many many seasons, but that's not to say he didn't give wrong decisions in City's favour too. And the number of times the linos and ref disagreed with each other just goes to underline that at least one official was wrong all night. It was, in fact, all three.

Spillane was tremendous, really really impressed by his attitiude and application. Etuhu was the opther obvious candidate for City's man of the match, and I can't remember when the last time both centre-mid players were the two motm candidates. They both worked thier nuts off, in both halves of the pitch.

Renton didn't get much, but looked lively, looked like he had that cocky streak you like to see in young strikers, and most importantly didn't look like a 16 year old bossed around by big boys. He was well up to the task. Nice to see.

Our left side was the disappointment of the match - Eagle never looked good enough (apart from one moment where he bullied a bigger lad off the ball - didn't look "lightweight" then, whatever that means), and Drury just wasn't right, just like most of the last two seasons. I don't know whether Wade Elliott is a good player or not, but he certainly looked it against our weak left.

Can't say much abut Bally Smart, he only actually touched the ball three or four times, one of which was to take a corner, and never had the chance to show the pace he's apparently known for.

Me and Mrs AB were sat near the Croft family who had come to watch Lee. Mother Croft shares Lee's boggly boggly eyes.

Paulo McSmall totally ignored a chorus of "We love you Paul McVeigh" as he trudged off at HT. That didn't go down too well, apparently, didn't see the incident myself I was getting tea and the best pie of the season so far.

Oh, and finally: Burnley? Shithole.

Posted By: Arizona Bay, Apr 18, 09:16:24