Brentford 1 v 3 Burnley (Sky Bet Championship)
This season started with the Clarets breaking their record transfer fee by signing Andre Gray from Brentford for £9 million pounds. This week started with Burnley making bids for two more of the Bee’s players Alan Judge and James Tarkowski.
All the pre-match talk was about James Tarkowski who was selected by the Bee’s manager Dean Smith, but one hour before the kick-off Tarkowski refused to play against the team he wants to join in the transfer window.
This was definitely the classic game of two halves and Burnley were on fire in the first-half, when David Jones hit the Clarets first effort at goal after only twenty seconds, but his left-footed shot went just wide of Button’s right-hand post.
On four minutes, Scott Arfield cut into the left-hand side of the area before hitting a left foot shot which was well saved by Button in the Brentford goal, following an excellent pass by Andre Gray.
Burnley playing like the home side at the moment, carving out another opportunity. A burst down the right finds Andre Gray but the former Bees striker slices his shot, but it fell kindly to Scott Arfield whose first-time strike is cleared off the line.
On seven minutes, a driving run by left-back Stephen Ward set up Andre Gray in the middle of the box, but a fantastic block by Brentford defender Jack O’Connell to put it out for a corner.
The Clarets took the lead on twelve minutes when left-back Stephen Ward came forward and feed Andre Gray on the edge of the area, he laid it back first time to the oncoming Scott Arfield, who curled the ball from the edge of the box into the top right corner to make it 0-1.
Brentford’s first effort at goal came on seventeen minutes, when a cross from the right falls to John Swift but his effort is blocked by Burnley defender Matthew Lowton.
On twenty-seven minutes, Jack O’Connell, the replacement for James Tarkowski, put in a crunching tackle on Burnley striker Sam Vokes, just as he was about to unleash a shot inside the box.
From the resulting free-kick midfielder Joey Barton took one step from 25 yards out and pinged a free-kick which clipped the post and nestled into the back of the net, to make the score 0-2 to Burnley.
Burnley could have extended their lead on thirty-two minutes, with another break down the left and cross finds Sam Vokes, but he sent a shot over the bar from inside the area.
Four minutes later, another attack down the left by Andre Gray gives George Boyd the chance to set up Sam Vokes, who sees his shot blocked inside the area, Scott Arfield was free on the left but the Wales international opted for goal.
On thirty-nine minutes, a long free-kick into the area found Burnley forward Sam Vokes who headed the ball down. Jack O’Connell opted for a stooping header instead of a clearance and George Boyd hits a shot on the volley, first time, into the bottom right corner, to make it 0-3.
The final effort of the half fell to Burnley on forty-four minutes, when Andre Gray won the ball after a mix up in the centre circle between two Brentford players. He laid the ball to the right wing where Joey Barton’s cross comes back to Gray, but the former Bees man could only fire it over the crossbar, to make the half-time score 0-3.
At the start of the second half, Brentford manager Dean Smith made two substitutions with Sergi Canos being replaced by Sam Saunders and Lasse Vibe coming on for Marco Djuricin, which completely changed the game.
On fifity minutes, after a series of crosses the fell to Lasse Vibe but his header was well blocked by Michael Keane, the ball was collected by Alan Judge on the edge of the box but he pulled his shot wide.
Brentford were now well on top in the game and they pulled a goal back on Fifty-seven minutes, when Alan Judge expertly dummied and glided past Matt Lowton inside the box, before firing a powerful, low drive passed Tom Heaton to make the score 1-3.
Burnley should have added a fourth goal on eighty minutes, when the Burnley goalscorer Joey Barton’s deep cross dropped kindly to Sam Vokes, but he leaned back and drills the ball over the crossbar from inside the area.
On eighty-six minutes, a spectacular scissor kick from Jack O’Connell causes some momentary panic inside the Burnley area. After bouncing off a couple of players, it fell kindly into the hands of goalkeeper Tom Heaton, to make the full-time score 1-3.
Speaking after the match Burnley manager Sean Dyche said, “When you look at the week and our recent results, I’m delighted, especially that first half performance which was absolutely fantastic.
It wasn’t just the goals, there were other chances from great counter-attacking, great mix play from shifting the ball quickly and all of the things you want from the team. In the second half, we didn’t play as well, but by then the damage was done.
As a performance it’s up there as the best whilst I have been at the club. I know Burnley fans still speak about the first half at Nottingham Forest a couple of year. I am just really pleased to come away with another big three points and another three goals on the road.
We have an amazing goals tally recently and despite the second half it’s hard to be critical of the players after the second half. We’ve had a lot of travelling and put so much into the last week, but when the next one comes around we have to work hard again.”
Match Details
Brentford – Button, Colin, Dean, O’Connell, Bidwell, Woods, Diagouraga, Canos, Judge, Swift, Djuricin (Subs) Saunders, McEachrun, Hoffman, Vibe, Bonham, Yennaris, Barbet
Burnley – Heaton, Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward, Jones, Barton, Boyd, Arfield, Vokes, Gray (Subs) Nizic, Duff, Marney, Taylor, Darikwa, Hennings, Kightly
Goals – (Burnley) Arfield (12), Barton (30), Boyd (38) (Brentford) Judge (56)
Attendance – 10,039
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