Burnley U23 6 v 0 Sheffield United U23 (Professional Development League)
Burnley returned to the Tameside Stadium for a Professional development League home game against high-flying Sheffield United. The Clarets had a strong starting eleven which included Anders Lindegaard, Ben Gibson and Robbie Brady. The winger completed a full ninety minutes in front of the Eire management team of Martin O’Neill & Robbie Keane.
Josh Benson, starting his first game of the season and created the chance with a ball down the inside right channel on five minutes, which Chakwana collected to shoot across Marcus Dewhurst and into the corner of the net to give the Clarets the lead. Chakwana then almost laid on a goal for Brady, but his right-wing cross was just too high for the Irishman to steer his header goalward.
Dan Agyei was next to go close with a curling shot that flew just wide before the striker had a hand in the second goal on 34 minutes. Agyei’s header from a Brady corner was heading goalwards, but in a melee on the line it needed a touch from Chakwana for the ball to reach the back of the net as he quickly doubled his tally.
Just three minutes into the second half it was 3-0 as Chakwana completed his hat-trick, again locating the bottom corner of the net with a fine strike on the turn after being teed up by substitute Mark Howarth.
Anders Lindegaard was rarely pressed into action but made one smart stop to deny David Parkhouse around the hour mark, which in the end preserve his clean sheet.
On sixty-five minutes, Dani Agyei got himself on the score sheet as he nodded home a perfectly delivered Brady free-kick to make the score 4-0. Robbie Brady then set up Dwight McNeil for a shot that hit the inside of the post.
Then on sixty-seven minutes, Chakwana thought he had added a fifth when he tucked away the rebound from a offside position, but the striker didn’t have to wait long for his fourth goal as the Clarets went five up with the goal of the game. Oliver Younger’s fine sweeping pass picked out Ali Koiki, whose powerful run and low cross ended with Chakwana side-footing the ball home.
Burnley have a third goal of the afternoon disallowed, when Harker squared to Agyei in the box however was ruled out by the linesman for offside on seventy-one minutes. The Clarets were not to be denied and in the final minute Howarth nodded home the sixth as the Clarets made it back-to-back home wins in highly impressive style.
The win moved the Clarets up to fifth in the league table just three points off second place Bolton Wanderers and five points behind leaders Leeds United. The Clarets next fixture is away at Sheffield Wednesday.
Match Details
Burnley – Lindegaard, Cropper, Younger, Gibson, Koiki, Brady, Goodridge, Benson, McNeil, Agyei, Chakwana (Subs) Harker, Howarth, Bayode, McMahon, Glennon
Sheffield United – Dewhurst, Sheppeard, Boyes, Doherty, Cantrill, York, Broadbent, Greaves, Oure, Hallam, Mallon (Subs) Neal, Parkhouse, Williams, Amissah, Foulstone
Goals – (Burnley) Chakwana (4), Agyei, Howarth
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