United suffered a first defeat of the season at Turf Moor following Robbie Blake’s stunning first-half volley and a momentous display from Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen.The great Dane beat away everything Sir Alex’s men threw at him, including a Michael Carrick penalty as the Clarets held out for a famous victory following Blake’s glorious strike on 19 minutes.
Sir Alex made five changes to the side that started the Reds’ opening day victory over Birmingham City. Wes Brown partnered Jonny Evans, who had recovered from a slight knock, in the centre of defence, while Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs and Anderson were brought into midfield with the latter lining up down the left. In attack, Michael Owen was handed his first competitive start in a red shirt alongside Wayne Rooney.
As expected for Burnley’s first home game back in the top flight for 33 years, Turf Moor was a cauldron of noise as the teams emerged from the tunnel. But the Clarets' fans were almost silenced in the opening two minutes when Patrice Evra’s cross almost found the unmarked Michael Owen who would have had the simple job of tapping home from close range had the ball not rolled behind him due to a slight deflection.Owen Coyle’s men breathed a sigh of relief, but the decibel level almost went through the roof on nine minutes when Steven Fletcher found himself in acres of room in the area.
Thankfully for the Reds he failed to properly connect – twice – with Wade Elliott’s right-wing cross as the ball bounced to safety. An effort from Michael Carrick at the other end had Jensen scrambling, but themidfielder’s volley into the ground, from Giggs’ corner, landed on the roof of the net.United had started brightly enough, but the home side were growing in confidence and an explosive dart forward from Martin Paterson on 18 minutes had Ben Foster racing from his line to block the striker’s goalbound effort. Unfortunately for United, the England goalkeeper was powerless to prevent the Clarets from taking the lead 60 seconds later.A floated cross into the area from Stephen Jordan was headed clear by Evra but only into the path of the unmarked Robbie Blake, lurking just inside the right edge of the area.
The Burnley man didn’t think twice and duly lashed an unstoppable right-foot volley into the top corner. Cue hysteria in three-quarters of the ground as Turf Moor exploded.It was a shock to the United system, but the Reds were intent on restoring parity as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the patient probing ultimately resulted in frustration with Burnley defending well in numbers. And but for a couple of long range efforts from Rooney, Jensen was rarely troubled, although he was no doubt relieved to see a header from Owen, who should have done better, drop wide following a cross from Brown on 37 minutes.Jensen found himself in the thick of the action on the stroke of half-time when Owen’s pass into Evra resulted in the Frenchman being upended in the area by Blake.
Referee Alan Wiley correctly pointed to the spot, but Michael Carrick – taking over penalty duties from the departed Cristiano Ronaldo – was unable to convert as Jensen plunged to his right and parried the ballaway to send Turf Moor wild once more.United continued to dominate the early possession after the break, but once again there was a lack of any real penetration. Burnley, meanwhile, still posed a threat at the other end and went close to doubling their advantage when Blake flashed a low free-kick inches wide of Foster’s far post on 52 minutes.
Antonio Valencia entered the fray in place of Anderson just before the hour, but the winger couldn’t make the most of Evra’s cross as his header bounced wide. Fellow substitute Dimitar Berbatov – on for Owen – clipped a curling effort just over on 66 minutes, before setting up Ji-sung Park two minutes later but his low drive was brilliantly palmed away by Jensen. In the same passage of play, Alan Wiley waved away United’s claims for a second penalty despite the fact Bikey appeared to handle Valencia’s cross.
The pressure from the Reds was increasing and so too were the chances, but there appeared to be no way past Jensen, a.k.a The Beast, an apt nickname on this evidence. A brilliant one-two between Rooney and Giggs led to the latter racing through on goal, but Jensen scrambled the ball away, before Evra fired wide from the follow-up.United fans began to think it was one of those nights when Jensen saved again at the feet of Berbatov and a delicious low centre from Rooney flashed across the six-yard box, just evading Park at the far post.It turned out to be a memorable evening for the men in claret and blue, but it was certainly one to forget for the Reds.
no comment , i still do support them btw , ;)
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