For vast swathes of this match – the first half, in particular – any spectator would have been hard-pressed to identify the Premier League-destined team on the verge of an all-time Football League clean-sheet record. Not only did Watford score – to make it just the 14th of Burnley’s 43 Championship matches in which they have conceded – but James Trafford endured a torrid afternoon preventing the hosts from becoming the first team to put two goals against him in the Championship this season.
Alas, a collective loss of Watford heads precipitated a flurry of cards and in effect brought the game to a premature end, allowing the thoughts of Scott Parker’s side to return once again to potential top-flight football.
By the time Watford were reduced to nine men soon after the hour mark, they had relinquished their early lead and found themselves 2-1 down to goals from Zian Flemming and Josh Brownhill. Whether they could have found a route back with parity of numbers will remain unknown.
While Watford’s fans made their feelings towards the referee Matt Donohue clear at full time, Tom Cleverley laid the blame firmly at his senior players as the game descended into mayhem with 11 second-half cards issued, including those crucial two reds in the space of nine minutes.
Given he had already been booked, Moussa Sissoko’s decision to return Flemming’s gentle push with a heftier shove of his own was nothing short of stupidity from the captain. Edo Kayembe could count himself slightly harder done, shown a second yellow when he put his arm out to fend off a challenge and inadvertently connected with Marcus Edwards’ neck.
“We were certainly the bull and they were the matador,” said Cleverley. “We need to be more streetwise. I didn’t think it would be Moussa and Edo making those mistakes.
“It’s disappointing because the performance in the first half was some of the best football we’ve produced this season. We certainly lost our head a little bit and have to learn from that. We can look at ourselves for why we ended up with nine men, and can’t point too many fingers at the referee. There will be no complaints from us with the red cards.”
In fact, Watford still managed to threaten despite their significant numerical disadvantage, but Burnley stood firm. Their unbeaten league run now stands at an extraordinary 30 games and it is increasingly difficult to envisage anything preventing their promotion. Victory at home against third-placed Sheffield United on Easter Monday will secure a Premier League return.
“We started a little bit slowly,” Parker said. “I thought we reacted very, very well once they got their nose in front. Overall I’m delighted. We came here for three points and managed to walk away with them. It’s a massive game on Monday night.”
Considering Burnley’s prowess, the Malian teenager Mamadou Doumbia must have been shocked by the ease with which he was allowed to nod a fine looping cross from the 20th-birthday boy Rocco Vata past a full-stretch Trafford. Burnley’s wait goes on to match Port Vale’s Football League record of 30 clean sheets, set in the 1953-54 Third Division North.
If that goal came as a shock, it was matched only by disbelief that Watford – and Kayembe in particular – did not double their lead. Having missed a prime opportunity to nod in when totally unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box, the Democratic Republic of the Congo midfielder then saw Trafford tip his 25-yard rocket on to the underside of the bar – a wonder save both managers hailed as world class – before the Championship player of the season contender beat away a third Kayembe shot.
Alas, between those efforts, Burnley had found an equaliser, Jaidon Anthony whipping in a pinpoint cross from the left for Flemming to head home. The visitors went ahead just before the hour when Brownhill nodded in Hannibal Mejbri’s knockdown from a couple of yards. Then followed the two red-card flashpoints.
As Burnley pushed, Egil Selvik did wonderfully to deny Brownhill a second from point-blank range, before the nine men of Watford somehow manufactured a stirring effort in the closing stages.
First, CJ Egan-Riley produced a magnificent last-ditch tackle to deny Vakoun Bayo when he was played through on goal, and then Trafford dived full stretch to keep out Ryan Andrews’ long-range strike. What might Watford have managed with all their players on the pitch?
Burnley could not care less. As their fans joyously sang, they are (almost certainly) going up.
