Home Utd go down 5-0 to Burnley

Story by Kenneth Tan/Red Sports. Photos by Chua Yueda/Red Sports

Tampines Stadium, Tueday, July 22, 2010 — English Championship side Burnley FC continued their good form on their pre-season trip in Singapore as they achieved a second successive 5-0 win in their second closed-door friendly match against S.League uniformed side Home United.

Despite what appeared to be a heavy defeat, a patched-up Home, who were missing the likes of Shahril Ishak, Shi Jiayi and Rosman Sulaiman due to national team duties, put on an admirable performance against the Clarets, especially in the second half.

The Protectors were only two goals down until a nightmare end to the match which saw them concede another three in the last 11 minutes.

Despite dropping several first team regulars, Burnley picked up where they left off in the last match as they started with all guns blazing. Within seconds of the kickoff, forward Jay Rodriguez made connection from a Ross Wallace left-wing cross with a volley at the far post which was well held by Home custodian Lionel Lewis.

Wide man Wade Elliott then had a one-on-one opportunity palmed wide by Lionel a minute later. From the resulting corner, Rodriguez’s header appeared destined for goal before being handled by a Home defender.

Rodriguez picked himself up to take the resulting penalty and he made no mistake with his finish into the middle of the goal that wrong-footed Lionel.

Home United had a chance to hit straight back thereafter when Korean target man Choi Chul Woo was brought down by Leon Cort at the edge of the box but his fellow countryman Chun Jae Woon fired the resulting dead ball against the wall.

Chun worked hard to create another opportunity for Home on 16 minutes when he pulled the ball back from the right wing for Naufal Omar Ashiblie but the latter’s curling shot was easily smothered by Burnley goalie Brian Jensen.

Burnley continued to attack the Home goal and threatened on two occasions as Rodriguez’s chip from outside the box went just over and centre back Leon Cort’s header was just wide of the target.

Their pressure paid off on 31 minutes when a corner from the right was only half-cleared to a lurking Wade Elliott just inside the box. The winger wasted no time in producing a full volley that flew right into the top right corner of the net which gave Lionel no chance at all.

Despite this being a friendly in name, a couple of strong challenges were put in by both sets of players, with one causing a brief altercation between Home defensive midfielder Isa Halim and Burnley forward Steven Thompson.

Half time saw a flurry of changes made by Home United who changed almost the whole starting lineup with only three S.League players in centre back Shahril Alias, full back Jumaat Jantan and substitute keeper Ridzuan Fatah Hassan remaining. Meanwhile Burnley brought on big guns Chris Eagles and Chris Iwelumo.

Both substitutes combined for the Clarets’ first opportunity of the half on 51 minutes. An Eagles right-wing cross created an opening for Iwelumo just in front of goal but the latter’s shot was well stopped by Ridzuan on the line.

Without the likes of first teamers Isa Halim, Chun Jae Woon and Choi Chul Woo who were substituted at half time, the line up made up of eight Prime League players surprisingly turned on the style, impressing the crowd with their speed in attack and free-flowing passing movement.

Home United’s Canadian winger Sherif El-Masri constantly took on Burnley full back Richard Eckersley, midfielder Shahdan Sulaiman strung a couple of good passes in the centre of the park and forward Sufian Anuar toiled hard to hold the ball upfront with his diminutive 1.7m frame.

Sufian created a rare excellent opportunity on 60 minutes when he played a one-two with his midfielder on the left flank before cutting in to shoot on goal, but his effort was well held by Jensen.

However the young guns could not last the pace as Burnley attacked relentlessly in the closing stages with Eagles the biggest threat with his trickery on the right flank. It was no surprise he managed to score his side’s third goal of the game on 79 minutes.

Midfielder Dean Marney fought hard to win the ball in midfield before releasing Eagles in a one-on-one opportunity with Ridzuan. The ex-Manchester United winger then coolly clipped the ball over the onrushing Ridzuan. Despite the attentions of two backtracking Home defenders, they could not stop the effort from crossing the line.

The lead was extended to four goals five minutes later. Ridzuan could only parry Andre Bikey’s fierce header from Dean Marney’s corner into the path of Iwelumo who gleefully tapped the ball over the line.

El-Masri could have pulled one back for Home on 86 minutes when his angled shot stung the palms of Jensen before going wide of goal.

Instead it was the Clarets who rounded up the scoring two minutes later. Iwelumo applied the coup de grace as he connected perfectly with a diving header from Eagles’ deep right-wing cross into the bottom left corner of the goal.

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