Wednesday failed to take our chances at one end … defended poorly at the other … and so found ourselves on the end of a 4-0 defeat at Burnley this evening.
We didn’t deserve the eventual scoreline but those deficiencies meant that all our good approach work and passing movements in the first 55 minutes counted for nothing as the home side found their form in the last half-hour to run out eventual easy winners.
The defeat sees us drop to 10th place on 45 points with the majority of the Championship sides in action tomorrow.
Wednesday dominated the first half and we went close after just four minutes when Michael Ihiekwe’s close-range stab from a corner hit the outside of the post. Then, with 15 minutes on the clock we could – and should – have gone ahead when Djeidi Gassama set up Stuart Armstrong on the six-yard line but he turned his effort wide of the post.
Josh Windass was next to go close soon afterwards, his shot from inside the box being blocked by Maxime Esteve.
Burnley almost took the lead a minute later when Marcus Edwards’ intended cross from the right hit the crossbar at the far post and, with half time approaching, the home side took the lead after having previously had just two touches in our penalty area.
Edwards played a one-two on the right-hand side of the box, he then wasn’t tracked as he moved into the penalty area and was able to lift an angled effort over James Beadle and high into the net.
Despite the setback, we began the second half on the front foot again and another opportunity came just five minutes in when Gassama did well down the right, his low cross fell to Windass at the far post but his shot was deflected over.
Soon afterwards it was the same story when Windass pulled the ball back for Armstrong in the box but his effort was blocked for a corner by Esteve.
However, the game was then turned totally on its head in the space of nine minutes, with Burnley scoring twice to put themselves firmly in charge.
Just after the hour, Wednesday again failed to track back and Jaidon Anthony’s low cross picked out Josh Brownhill to score at the near post. Then, after James Trafford had saved from Shea Charles, it was 3-0 with Connor Roberts converting from close-in after Wednesday had failed to clear.
The game was over at this stage but there was a fourth Burnley goal still to c0me, Manuel Benson firing home from the edge of the box in added time.
Beadle, Valery, Ihiekwe, M Lowe, Johnson (Otegbayo 46), S Charles, Bannan (Ingelsson 77), Armstrong (Cissoko 66), Gassama, Windass (Hatsuse 77), Smith (Ugbo 66). Unused subs: P Charles, Paterson, Valentin, Chalobah.
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