TOWSON, Maryland, Saturday, August 19.2017 - In week one of the new Premier League campaign, Burnley broke from the opening whistle to a quick three-zip lead over one of soccer's very best teams. And the Claret accomplished that feat in front of over 41,000 raucous fans, most of them rooting like all get out for the home standing Blues. Even though the second half of the game wasn't a mirror image of the first half, the new Burnley Claret took care of business and put away the Premier League's reigning champs, 3-2.
Fast forward one week. And: change the scenery from nasty Stamford Bridge to a very accommodating 'Fortress Turf Moor,' as the BBC took to calling Burnley's home pitch, so predictably did they win here. Lots of cheering Claret fans were filling the stands and Burnley was playing tough.
Just before halftime - and I mean "just" before halftime. there was a game-changing play. Robby Brady curled a doozy of a corner kick toward the near post. Dependable Ben Mee was there, on the spot, and there was dependable Ben Mee putting his forehead to the ball, virtually on the goal line (not quite on the line, mind you, not quite, not illegal, no need for a whistle, you understand, no need at all). And there was no whistle. Unfortunately, neither was there a goal. That darned football did not go into the net, which was hanging there, all puckered up and ready to grab the sphere and embrace the heck out of it.
The goal that could have put Burnley ahead, should have put Burnley ahead, had to put Burnley ahead; well, it never materialized. It went poof!
At halftime, the score stood Burnley 0, West Bromwich Albion 0.
Then came the second half. Telegraph Scribe Steven Sutcliffe told it this way: "Albion’s triumph, delivered by Hal Robson-Kanu, was almost undone when the Wales forward became only the fourth player in Premier League history to score and be dismissed after coming on as a substitute.
Robson-Kanu’s red card, administered in the 83rd minute after he had appeared to lead with his forearm jumping for a ball with Burnley full-back Matt Lowton, enabled Burnley to lay siege to the West Brom penalty area."
Against Chelsea, it took the Claret a number of minutes to get their offense going against a ten-man Chelsea Line-Up on Opening Saturday. Sadly for Burnley, they didn't have that much time remaining on the clock. They tried their darnedest, however. As Sutcliffe reported, Burnley "lay siege" to the West Brom penalty area.
Sean Dyche was talking like a very important late season game had been lost. Maybe it is encouraging that those kind of thoughts can cross his mind when Burnley has played so many campaigns trying to avoid relegation. And the Claret boss wasn't the only soul who has noticed the improving soccer the Claret have put out on the pitch.
Again, Sutcliffe reports: "Burnley, who appear to have supplemented the typically British trait of honest endeavour with invention and finesse, merited more reward according to their manager Sean Dyche. He said: “You end up scratching your head that you don’t get something, particularly when you perform so well.”
The second half started innocently enough. The second half stayed scoreless. It remained scoreless until the 71st minute when one of the two substitutes that West Brom called on scored a goal. Hal Robson-Kanu got one past Burnley's wonderful keeper, Tom Heaton, to give West Bromwich the only goal they would need.
Final Score: West Bromwich Albion 1, Burnley 0.
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