Oh Jord

By Longsider
September 30 2004

We bring you some press reports covering the game at Leicester yesterday. Our first report comes from the Sunday People whilst the second one is from the Sporting Life.

OH JORD

Sunday People

MICKY ADAMS has his work cut out if Leicester are to justify pre-season confidence and make a swift return to the Premiership promised land. A 0-0 draw against Burnley, who have one of the smallest squads in the league, is not what the Walkers Stadium fans were expecting as Foxes try to make up lost ground after a disappointing first month of the new season. And the 74th-minute sending-off of Jordan Stewart for retaliation meant Leicester were clinging on at the end. Burnley have made no secret of their tactics on the road - keep it very tight and hope to sneak one on the break. Leicester join Rotherham, Watford and Wigan in drawing blanks at home against the Clarets. Adam Nowland's strike for West Ham is the only goal they have conceded in five away games. This from a side that conceded 77 goals last term. Burnley boss Steve Cotterill had a four-month stint at Leicester last season as a coach and he had obviously been flicking through some of his old notes as he tried to get the better of the Foxes. Cotterill packed out his midfield, leaving Robbie Blake up front on his own. Frank Sinclair and Danny Coyne, both of whom joined Burnley from Leicester in the summer, played key roles in denying their former side any success in front of goal, with Jamie Scowcroft and David Connolly wasting the best opportunities. It said much for the lack of action in the opening stages that Jean-Louis Valois's presence in the Burnley side was one of the few noteworthy incidents. Barely five minutes into his full debut, the Frenchman delivered a superb cross-field pass to start a move which culminated in Richard Chaplow's shot at Kevin Pressman. Gareth Williams sent a dipping volley from just outside the penalty area narrowly over the crossbar but Leicester looked a pale shadow of the side who had scored five goals in their last two games. Keeper Coyne had to be alert to deny Scowcroft just after the half-hour, smothering a goal-bound shot following Dion Dublin's flick-on. And he was grateful Connolly, set up by Jason Wilcox, could only hit the side-netting from a tight angle. Blake and Stewart traded strikes early in the second half, while Lilian Nalis fired over the Burnley crossbar from 25 yards. Chris Makin failed to test Coyne with an ambitious drive, and things went from bad to worse for Leicester when Stewart marred an otherwise impressive individual display by kicking out at Ian Moore. If Cotterill can take considerable pleasure from his side's solid start to the season - they have lost just twice in 10 matches in all competitions - Leicester counterpart Adams will be keen to improve on a home record that reads: played five, won one, lost three. Bookies at the start of the season made Foxes market leaders for the Coca-Cola Championship but the fizz has gone flat and Adams sorely needs to get his team bubbling. LEICESTER: Pressman 7 - Makin 6, Keown 7, Dabizas 7, Stewart 6 - Scowcroft 6, Nalis 6, Williams 6 (Gemmill 45mins, 6), *WILKOX 8 (Tiatto 66mins, 6) - Connolly 6 (N Blake 71mins), Dublin 6. BURNLEY: Coyne 6 - Duff 6, McGreal 6, Sinclair 7, Camara 6 - Moore 6, *CHAPLOW 7, Branch 6, Grant 6, Valois 6 - R Blake 7.

 

Leicester 0 Burnley 0

Sporting Life

Leicester became the latest side to be thwarted by Burnley's sturdy defence as they were held to a goalless draw at the Walkers Stadium.

Despite seeing plenty of the ball the hosts - relegated from the Premiership last season - struggled to fashion anything resembling clear chances against a rearguard which has been breached just once in five away games this season.

Lacking the guile or invention to break through, Leicester's frustration was underlined by the 74th-minute dismissal of Jordan Stewart for retaliation.

Leicester join Rotherham, Watford and Wigan in drawing blanks at home against Burnley, with Adam Nowland's strike for West Ham the solitary mark in the Clarets debit column in seven and a half hours' football on their travels.

That his side's disciplined approach contributed to an uninspiring encounter in front of an increasingly restless crowd will matter little to Burnley manager Steve Cotterill, whose priority since taking charge in the summer has been to shore up a defence which leaked 77 goals last term.

If Cotterill can take considerable pleasure from his side's solid start to the season - they have lost just twice in 10 matches in all competitions - Leicester counterpart Micky Adams will be keen to improve on a home record which reads: played five, won one, lost three.

Frank Sinclair and Danny Coyne, both of whom joined Burnley from Leicester in the summer, played key roles in denying their former side any success in front of goal, with Jamie Scowcroft and David Connolly wasting the best opportunities.

It said much for the lack of action in the opening stages that Jean-Louis Valois' presence in the Burnley side was one of the few noteworthy incidents.

Barely five minutes into his full debut, the Frenchman delivered a superb cross-field pass to start a move which culminated in Richard Chaplow's shot at Kevin Pressman.

Although Gareth Williams sent a dipping volley from just outside the penalty area narrowly over the crossbar, Leicester looked anything but a team which had scored five goals in their last two games.

Valois and Michael Duff failed to find the target with long-range drives as Burnley reminded the hosts of their attacking threat, while Stewart stung Coyne's palms at the other end of the pitch.

Coyne had to be alert to deny Scowcroft just after the half-hour, smothering a goal-bound shot following Dion Dublin's flick-on, and he was grateful Connolly, set up by Jason Wilcox, could only hit the side-netting from a tight angle.

Blake and Stewart traded strikes early in the second half, while Lilian Nalis fired over the Burnley crossbar from 25 yards.

Chris Makin failed to test Coyne with an ambitious drive, and things went from bad to worse for Leicester when Stewart marred an otherwise impressive individual display by kicking out at Ian Moore.

Teams

Leicester Pressman, Stewart, Keown, Dabizas, Makin, Scowcroft, Nalis, Williams (Gemmill 45), Wilcox (Tiatto 66), Dublin, Connolly (Blake 70).

Subs Not Used: Wright, Stearman.

Sent Off: Stewart (74).

Burnley Coyne, Camara, McGreal, Sinclair, Duff, Chaplow, Branch, Grant, Valois, Blake, Moore.

Subs Not Used: Jensen, O'Neill, Pilkington, Yates, Townsend.

Booked: Duff, Sinclair.

Att: 22,495

Ref: I Williamson (Berkshire).