Burnley Match Report - Saturday 21st November 2009
Youth Alliance League Game

OAFC - 1
(Andy Crompton)
BURNLEY - 2

A very close affair saw Latics lose out in a game that could easily have gone either way.Two very well matched teams played the game in fine spirit and some fine individual performances led to what proved to be an excellent advert for youth team football.

Latics had a dream start when fine play down the right by Tom Eaves led to Andy Crompton glancing a header past the Burnley keeper within the first minute of the game.

Latics 1-0 Burnley
(Crompton)

The goal put the Latics on the front foot and for the next 15 minutes they played some fine football, more care in the final third possibly increasing their total.

However to their credit Burnley continued to pass the ball around freely and their play caused Athletic plenty of problems.

(Anthony White Came Under Pressure)

Despite being in front Athletic were, at times, clearly hanging on and if not for some fine defending Burnley would have been level.

However, Latics were guilty of giving away a succession of free kicks, from which Burnley looked a constant threat and it came as no surprise when the equaliser came form a wide free kick, which beat Latics 'keeper Anthony White directly from the left hand side.

Latics 1-1 Burnley

(Tony Gives A Half Time Team Talk)

The second half was a very even affair, as both teams began to cancel each other out.For the Latics, two defining moments decided the outcome of the game.

With fifteen minutes to go, fine play down the right hand side by James Tarkowski led to Leeroy Chinthengah somehow missing his kick from 3 yards out, from the resulting scramble Laquan Esdaile-Biney fired past the post when it looked easier to score.

At the other end a Burnley corner was looped hopefully into the box and not dealt with byb the defence, leaving the Burnley winger free to head home what would prove to be the winner, from 8-yards out.

Latics 1-2 Burnley

(Tom Eaves Unlucky Not To Level)

Despite some good passages of play Latics were unable to generate a clear cut chance on goal to level the tie, the most positive moment for Athletic being the last thirty minutes of the game, which saw the return to action of winger Phillip McGrath following a double hernia operation, earlier in the month.