Clarets' Winter of discontent

Referee Jeff Winter is not afraid of the spotlight and he ensured he was the centre of attention with the red card that reduced Burnley to ten men for the second successive game at the start of this season.

The seventh minute dismissal of former Wolves favourite Paul Cook ensured that Stan Ternent's depleted squad would struggle to climb the mountain that Nik Michopoulos had already left them to conquer.

At fault for two goals against Brighton, the Greek keeper had another nightmare when he spilled a shot from Colin Cameron and gifted former Rovers striker Nathan Blake with his first goal since March 2.

That immediately hit Ternent's plans of playing Gareth Taylor as a lone striker with support from Glen Little and Alan Moore but worse was to follow.

Winter had missed the late foul by Paul Weller on Colin Cameron that ensured the early introduction of Paul Ince for his debut in the old gold.

But the ref was right on the spot for the foul by Cook on Alex Rae. It was a bad challenge, very late and perhaps showing the frustration at the poor start to the game and Winter did not hesitate to pull out the red card.

It was a very quick reaction and perhaps needed a little more time to consider the colour of the card but the Burnley boss anticipated what was coming.

"I knew from the way he approached him it was going to be red," admitted Ternent. "It was a late challenge but I did not think it was a particularly vicious thing.

"The ref didn't show a great deal of patience and that decision killed the game as a spectacle.

"But I don't think we should always talk about refs, it always seems to come round to that."

Wolves boss Dave Jones insisted he was not playing the typical managerial role as he said: "I'm not copping out but I really did not see it.

"I spoke to Cooky in the tunnel at half time and he said he knew it was late but he never went to do him.

"It is a shame for him because his family was here and he lives just up the road. The sending off certainly made our job easier."

Winter then offered the home side yet more assistance with the award of a very harsh penalty against the Clarets skipper Steve Davis.

Kenny Miller, who has not scored for 11 months, fired in a shot that struck Davis who was standing very close to him and could not possibly have got out of the way.

That did not concern Winter and Miller, desperate to end his drought, grabbed the ball and prepared to make it two.

But he was reckoning without Michopoulos who partially atoned for his earlier error with a superb one handed save, diving away to his left.

"Everyone is desperate for Kenny to score but we have to be a bit more professional," said Jones who had wanted appointed kicker Denis Irwin to take the penalty.

But having had such a dreadful start to the campaign, making a top class save like that will hopefully be a confidence booster for Michopoulos, last week left out of the international squad.

Irwin certainly showed his eye for goal with a great free kick that did make it 2-0 just after break but, not for the first time, there was uncertainty in the Burnley defence.

As the former Man United player lined up a shot from 22 yards, Steve Davis dropped back on to the line but the ball went in off the bar as it bisected defender and keeper. Darren Barnard netted for Barnsley in similar circumstances last season and it is something that needs to be looked at.

The concession of another early goal in the second half was a blow as the Clarets had actually acquitted themselves well before the break despite the double set-back.

Having looked as if they would struggle to pass water against Brighton they knocked the ball around nicely at times although without ever giving Michael Oakes anything to worry about in the home goal.

Ternent had a third problem when Alan Moore, in his first game of the season, had to go off in the 18th minute with a cut that required a number of stitches.

Ian Moore came on but in a withdrawn role as Ternent persisted with Taylor ploughing a lone furrow with Lee Briscoe and Paul Weller trying hard to support him.

But Wolves are not one of the title favourites for nothing and the Clarets were always going to have a tough time, even if it was 11 against 11.

They have vastly superior resources to Burnley, adding Ince, Irwin and the promising Ivar Ingimarsson to the squad that narrowly missed automatic promotion last season.

In fact Jones listed the likes of Mark Kennedy, George Ndah and Keith Meadows as all desperate to be involved on match days while Ternent was down to his last 16 fit players.

The sight of Steve Davis being pushed into midfield late on showed that it is going to be a case of having to make do and mend at times during the campaign.

Ternent's cause is not going to be helped if players are going to continue to see red and already Gnohere and Cook are facing suspension. It is of no comfort consolation that both men felt hard done to and perhaps with some justification.

It is far too early to be worrying about being bottom of the fledgling table but the clash with Sheffield United on Saturday is a vital one, a chance for Burnley to properly kick-start their season and, hopefully, finish with 11men on the field.

BURNLEY 0

WOLVES 3

Blake 2, Irwin 49, Cooper 87

Attendance...25,031

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