Kompany miffed as Seasiders put on stubborn show
FRUSTRATED Burnley boss Vincent Kompany was disappointed his side failed to make their dominance pay against strugglers Blackpool.
The runaway Championship league leaders were forced to settle for a point in this Lancashire derby but, despite the draw, extended their lead at the summit to 13 points after Sheffield United slipped up earlier in the day.
Blackpool goalkeeper Chris Maxwell pulled off a string of fine saves to thwart the visitors as the Clarets made it 14 games unbeaten in the league.
“I think you always want to set the standard as high as you can, but it just felt like one of those games,” said Kompany.
“If you look at the numbers I think we’ve had 80 per cent of the ball, we had five shots on target and 13 in total.
“We conceded zero shots on target, so in the end we did what we needed to do.
“But you’re always so demanding so long as that ball does not go in. We were a bit unlucky on that.”
Midfielder Josh Brownhill came within a whisker of firing the Clarets ahead after only 12 minutes but his shot was cleared off the line and Nathan Tella was unable to fire home soon after.
Forward Jerry Yates curled a shot narrowly wide for the Seasiders before Ashley Barnes headed over at the other end.
Midfielder Sonny Carey had a penalty shout turned down after a strong challenge from centre-back
Hjalmar Ekdal and Maxwell produced the first of three fine saves to frustrate Burnley four minutes before the break.
The shot-stopper’s fine fingertip block thwarted Johann Berg Gudmundsson from distance.
Josh Cullen smashed over early after the break while, at the other end, Kenny Dougall had a shot charged down as the Seasiders chased their first victory over their rivals for nearly a decade.
Maxwell denied Gudmundsson a second time, again with a smart save with 20 minutes left. Substitute Scott Twine, who replaced the injured Brownhill after only 26 minutes, then saw his thunderbolt free-kick tipped over the bar by Maxwell.
Tella had a shot saved in the closing stages but the Clarets just couldn’t find the breakthrough.
Seasiders boss Mick McCarthy said: “I’m very satisfied with our work.
“However, if you’re thinking what games are going to define the season, it’s not against Burnley.”
BLACKPOOL: Maxwell 7; Gabriel 6, Nelson 6, Thorniley 6, Thompson 6; Dougall 6, Connolly 6; Bowler 6 (Rogers (74) 6), Carey 6 (Lyons (87) 6), Garbutt 6 (Hamilton (80) 6); Yates 6 (Madine (80) 6)
BURNLEY: Muric 6; Roberts 7, Ekdal 7, Beyer 6, Da Silva 6; Brownhill 5 (Twine (26) 6, (Dervisoglu (90) 6), Cullen 7; Tella 7, Gudmundsson 8 (Cork (90) 6), Zaroury 6 (Obafemi (62) 5); Barnes 6
STAR MAN: Johann Berg Gudmundsson. Solid display from the Icelandic international who was unlucky not to score.
REF: Thomas Bramall 7