Dave on the Bees and not getting stung.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Dave Thornley in a happier mood reflects on the week of the Oscars, and with Brentford Burnley’s visitors to Turf Moor for yesterday afternoon’s Premier League match, having “Hollywood” splashed across the front of their shirts, it struck me that the passage of the match bore some of the themes of a blockbuster action movie.

For when things are at their darkest, and all seems lost, Clarets fans yearned for a hero to emerge. A hero returning from exile with a point to prove and a wrong to set right; a hero nursing a burning sense of injustice.

Square-jawed, taciturn, and formidable, the reassuringly imposing figure of Arijanet Muric was restored by popular demand to Burnley’s starting line-up ending a season spent on the side lines after being usurped in the Clarets’ goal by James Trafford.

A good action hero needs both a villain and a good supporting cast of allies. The villainy was provided by Brentford’s Sergio Reguilon, who barged into the back of Vitinho just as the Brazilian was drawing back his foot with the goal at his mercy.

After an excessively long VAR intervention during which it seemed as though referee Darren Bond was catching up on “Homes Under the Hammer” on the touchline telly, a penalty was awarded and Reguilon had a red card thrust in his direction. Jacob Bruun Larsen drilled the spot kick past Flekken in the Bees’ goal to provide Burnley an early lead.

The supporting cast in Claret and Blue had all learned their lines and delivered nearly flawless performances; all that is except Dara O’Shea, whose inexplicably loose back pass had Muric scrambling across his goal to prevent the most preventable of equalisers.
David Datro Fofana also delivered an intriguing cameo; featuring a missed sitter and a quick-thinking pounce on a Flekken roll out, only to slip before he could get his shot away.

In the second half however, he was on the end of a flowing move begun by an outstanding recovery tackle deep in his own half from Vitinho, three passes later and Fofana was tucking the ball into the corner of the Brentford goal to double Burnley’s lead.

But our plot was still to have some twists and turns. In the 83rd minute, Brentford’s Ajer pulled back a goal and memories of the two-goal lead squandered at West Ham last week, led to a rise in the anxiety levels around Turf Moor. These were enhanced by the addition of an improbable nine minutes of stoppage time, during which the ball once again found its way into the Burnley goal, and although Muric had been fouled in the process, memories of the injustice of Luton’s equaliser in similar circumstances a few weeks ago meant nothing could be taken for granted. But this time the goal was rightly disallowed.

Muric received prolonged treatment for the injury he sustained in the process, which lengthened the running time of this epic still further, but in the end our hero prevailed, bloodied, and bruised, but triumphant. He handed his shirt, bearing the sweat and toil of battle to a young fan, she will undoubtedly cherish the token bestowed upon her.

The three points gained are obviously welcome, and the restoration of Muric undoubtedly had the galvanising effect that it was hoped to achieve. Will it be enough to make any difference to Burnley’s eventual destiny? Probably not, but this feel-good ending has been a long time coming and for that alone, I for one am grateful.

Are miracles still in fashion? Easter is not that far away, perhaps a second Coming is just around the corner. (TEC).