By Stuart Kidson
January 20 2004

10 MEN BAGGIES BATTLED TO EARN THEMSELVES A DRAW AFTER GOING ONE DOWN. ROB HULSE PICKED UP HIS FIRST RED CARD OF HIS CAREER BUT 'THE HORSE' MAKES IT TWO IN TWO. Apologies again for late posting but I have a new keyboard now so hopefully the problems are ended. Burnley (1) v West Bromwich Albion (1)
Turfmoor, Saturday 17th January 2004
Nationwide League Division One

The Baggies battled back to earn themselves a draw despite being down to 10 men after striker Rob Hulse picked up his first red card of his career for an elbow on Burnley defender Mark McGregor in the first half hour of the game. Hulse had been recalled to the starting line up to replace the injured Scott Dobie, and his ejection from the game looked as though it was to prove costly when Robbie Blake took advantage of a mix up between Russell Hoult and Thomas Gaardsoe to fire the home side into the lead.

Some 2000 plus travelling fans had made their way north to Lancashire and it proved to be a tense afternoon as news from around the grounds pointed to a bad day for the Baggies. The only bright spot was the news that Mark Kinsella, on loan from Aston Villa, had been bought into the squad and was on the bench.

The encounter amid the backdrop of the rugged Pennine Hills proved to be a rather tempestuous affair but it was the Baggies who had the first chances of the opening minutes of the game when Horsfield was found unmarked by a Neil Clement cross. Horsfield only had former Baggies keeper Brian Jensen to beat but his shot was straight at 'The Beast' who managed to stop the shot with his legs.

Burnley had to wait until the 21st minute before they registered their first real effort when their top scorer Robbie Blake sent a curling free kick towards goal. Hoult was beaten but the ball sailed just wide of the mark. Hulse then had a favourable bounce at the other end but he rushed his shot and managed to slice the ball well off the mark.

Horsfield took full advantage of a weak back header by Burnley less than a minute later but his first touch let him down and Jensen was able to collect the ball before the striker could finish the job.

Former Manchester United defender, David May, caught Hulse minutes later with a boot in the back as the two jumped for the ball. Hulse required treatment for the obvious foul, which went totally unpunished by Mr. N. Miller. Hulse returned to the fray but was soon taking an early bath as frustration got the better of him and he lashed out with his elbow.

Down to ten men and with over an hour of the game left meant the pressure was now on the visitors, but despite the numeric superiority of the home side it was the Baggies who were creating more chances. Clement set out on a run from midfield and beat Lee Roche and McGregor before Jensen parried his low drive around the post for a corner.

At the other end Hoult was forced into handling a weak back pass from Darren Moore and gifting the home side a dangerous looking free kick just inside the area. Blake drove the ball hard but it was cleared by Andy Johnson. Unfortunately the ball fell for Roche and his first time cross found an unmarked McGregor lurking in the box but he could only head over from the penalty spot.

Hoult got himself in trouble again minutes later when he failed to get any power into a punch following a cross and being put under pressure by Ian Moore. Paul Robinson came to his keepers rescue.

The home side had began to make their extra player count as half time approached but the Baggies were far from finished and kept on attacking the home side. Johnson had been running himself into the ground throughout the first period and he was up ended 20 yards out in the last minute of the half. Up stepped Clement to fire a trademark left footed shot in at his ideal range. Burnley fans breathed a sigh of relief as they saw the ball go a whisker away from the corner of the upright and post and out for a goal kick.

Former Baggie loanee Tony Grant volleyed over the bar within a minute of the restart for the home side after Blake had found him on the edge of the box with a pin point cross, but again the home sdie were disappointed.

Sean Gregan sent Horsfield off and running minutes later when he vollied upfield. The former Blues and Wigan striker muscled his way past McGregor before skillfully weaving past Champions League winner May and former Dingle Mo Camara. With just The Beast to beat Horsfield let rip from 12 yards but his shot took a coat of paint from the wrong side of the upright as it whizzed past for a goal kick.

Horsfield was involved minutes later when he again got the better of McGregor and sent the ball out for Robinson to race onto. The former Watford players first touch was too heavy and the ball raced away from him and allowed Jensen to collect with comfort.

Burnley were making their extra man count at times and pushed forward as the hour mark approached. Hoult again produced a weak punch inside his 6 yard area under pressure again from Moore. Thankfully for the Baggies Bernt Haas was on hand to clear the ball.

The pressure was on the Baggies again but despite this they forced Jensen into making a spectacular save when Gaardsoe found Clement unmarked out on the left. The former Reading player crossed for Horsfield who hit a first time volley from 15 yards and forced Jensen into his best save of the day.

Again Burnley attacked and in the 69th minute their persistence paid off. Blake, who had been kept reasonably quiet by James Chambers, hit a shot from just inside the 18 yard box. Gaardsoe failed to clear the ball from the 6 yard box and with Hoult stranded it went across the line to give the home side a deserved lead.

The Baggies were not finished though and five minutes later Horsfield and Clement combined. Horsfield lost his marker and raced into the box to produce a clinical finish that beat Jensen into the top left hand corner to draw the scores level. Albion had now come back from behind twice against Burnley this season to deny the Clarets a win.

Albion almost took the lead later in the game when Clement fired another powerful free kick towards goal and Jensen was relieved to see it spin wide of the post after fluffing his save. Hoult was then called upon to be the hero in the dying minutes when he stopped a powerful Blake drive from a tight angle.

The baggiesworld.co.uk Man of the Match went to Geoff Horsfield.

Teams
Burnley Jensen, Roche, May, McGregor, Camara, Chadwick, Grant, Little, Branch, Blake, I.Moore
Subs Abbey, O'Neill, Pilkington, West, A. Moore

West Brom Hoult, Gaardsoe, J. Chambers, D. Moore, Haas, Johnson, Gregan, Clement, Robinson, Hulse, Horsfield
Subs Murphy, Sakiri, Hughes, Kinsella, Dyer