Eagles for England? or just the starting 11?

With another "Bumper" crowd at Turf Moor over 14000 Clarets backing the boys, with the one coach load from the midlands. It looked so easy on paper. Coyle's tried and tested formula of playing the in-form players has paid dividends this season, with Eagles again kicking his heals on the bench with Steven Jordan coming in for injury hit Christian Kalvenes as the only change from Saturdays game with Wolves.

The first half was hit and miss, they hit with their only true effort on goal and we missed constantly with Burnley choosing the long ball up to Pato and Thompson.

 Coventry's young England starlet Danns had brought a save out of Brian Jensen early doors, but after this early strike Coventry were mostly on the back foot with Burnley keeping them to long shots and half chances Michael Doyle and Leon Best guilty with a couple of missed snapshots.

Burnley on the other hand barely got out of first gear, Thompson could/should have done better with a shot around the twenty minute mark. With the half coming to a close Burnley got hit with a sucker punch, Jordan turned inside out on the left twice failed to stop the cross which looped over Jensen and although Williams and Caldwell were on hand at the back post, Leon Best evaded the pair all too easily to nod home possibly his easiest chance this season 0-1 Coventry.

Owen Coyle must be either going Gray or just losing his hair as this first half Burnley performance was just poor, the only bright spark would be Robbie Blake who looked dangerous every time he was given the ball, unfortunately this was not often enough as Burnley kept the ball long and high for the forward partnership of Thommo and Pato.

The second half was so much better, back to the sort of performance that stopped an impressive Wolverhampton Wanderers from being able to play on Saturday. Burnley's war torn players who have had a season and a half, just think back? America, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Accrington that was just pre-season and with this Coventry side at Turf Moor last night Burnley have played 43 competitive games already with a money spinning trip to the Emirates and Arsenal to come.

Paterson on another day could have had a bag full, but former Carlisle United keeper Kieran Westwood led a charmed life in the Sky Blue's goal First a curling shot well saved, a knock down inside the six yard box smothered, a free header again by Pato just over. Pato then started drifting going out wide right where he and Elliott found space to tear Coventry apart, but with Pato turning provider Thommo could not find enough space to force an equaliser.

Thompson’s best chance came around the hour mark when neat play on the edge of the box involving Robbie Blake and Chris McCann, led to Thompson beating the offside trap and find himself one-on-one with Westwood, but like everything else Burnley threw, his little dink was too high, best chance of the game gone! Pato's frustrations were beginning to show as he had bust a gut to get alongside Thompson for what would have been a tap in.

Our manager Coyle had seen enough, how many times should you have to knock on the door before you get in? Triple substitution! Jordan off! Thompson Off!  And to everyone’s surprise Blake off? Blake to everyone making their way up Brunshaw Road after the match was Man of the Match!  By some distance too!.

Jay Rod, Big Mac & Chrissie Eagles had nineteen minutes to change the result, Jay Rod has a true natural ability to jump and win the aerial battles cleanly this he did on numerous occasions during this cameo, one such occasion left Pato with a free header eight yards out, but just like the rest of Patos night, he fluffed it! he just couldn't get any purchase on the bouncing ball to beat the impressive Westwood.

Big Mac looked the part too, beating men at will on the left before floating over a near perfect ball for the on rushing Clarets, Near perfect but for the Coventry Keeper who moved his footing to gather from the heads of Jay Rod and Chris McCann.

The breakthrough did come however, after all the second half play, it would be Coyles substitute pairing of Jay Rod and Eagles to claim a point on the ninetieth minute, Jay Rod's perfectly timed jump flicked the ball onto Eagles who came in from the right to place the ball wide of Westwood with a quality finish that would not have been out of place in the Premiership, a place where this Burnley team is striving to be, and with it rescue a point for the battle hardened Clarets.

Burnley under Coyle just don’t know when they are beaten!

So it's on now to Saturday and Norwich City at Carrow Road. The Canaries have recently parted company with former Claret no2 Glenn Roeder and installed Norwich Legendary former Goalkeeper Bryan Gunn as first team manager. Norwich also have Alan Gow on loan from Glasgow Rangers who turned down the chance to become a Claret earlier in the season.