01-08-09: Burnley (a) 2-1 (HT 1-0) Crowd (7,899)

Programme:

On 1st August 2009, United had their final pre-season friendly, when they visited EPL side Burnley at Turf Moor. Both Luciano Becchio and Fabian Delph had picked up knocks in training and were left out of the squad. Mike Grella and David Prutton moved into the starting eleven and Aidan White came in in the bench, which was reduced to seven. Casper Ankergren was given a chance in goal as Shane Higgs dropped to the bench, while Andy Hughes was given the right midfield position in preference to Robert Snodgrass, who dropped to the bench and in a last minute move Enoch Showunmi, who had originally been given a substitute role, came in after Jermaine Beckford had to withdraw due to illness. Burnley had several former United players in the ranks, with central defenders Clarke Carlisle and Steve Caldwell and striker Robbie Blake all in the starting eleven. Graham Laws of Whitley Bay was the referee as the game kicked off in front of a crowd of 7,899 with a large contingent from Leeds, as they all observed an impeccable minute's silence for Sir Bobby Robson, Burnley directorRay Griffiths and ex-Burnley captain Tommy Cummings. Once more United made a positive start creating two chances in the first six minutes. Mike Grella just failed to latch onto a cross from Ben Parker and then Jonathan Howson shot wide. Burnley then came more into the game but there was little else to enthuse about in the first twenty minutes. Jason Crowe was clattered by Clarke Carlisle in the twenty-fourth minute, but continued after treatment and from the resulting free-kick Bradley Johnson came close to giving United the lead when his free-kick hit a post. Johnson then linked well with Mike Grella for the striker to go close. There was another good oppurtunity for United just after the half hour mark, when Andy Hughes broke free on the right but Enoch Showunmi put the ball wide from close range. Bradley Johnson was the next to go close as he cut in from the left, but his right-footed shot was narrowly wide of the post. In the thirty-seventh minute United finally got the goal they deserved and it came from Mike Grella, who scored his first goal for the club. The hard-working American had been a shining light in United's pre-season and when Steve Caldwell slipped he was on to the ball in a flash to slam the ball past Brian Jensen in the Burnley goal. The goal was well merited as for the second time within a week United had outplayed EPL opposition in the early stages of matches. Burnley did create a chance just before half-time, but Chris Eagles shot wide when well placed. Richard Eckersley replaced Tyrone Mears at right back for the home side, while Lubomir Michalik came on for Rui Marques after the break and Burnley had the first shot on goal in the second half as Robbie Blake curled a free-kick into the waiting arms of the untroubled Casper Ankergren. United quickly took the ascendency and created a half chance for Enoch Showumni, then saw Andy Hughes denied by an offside flag and then, on the hour mark, David Prutton got in a cross which Jason Crowe only just failed to connect with. After Burnley had made a double substitution in the fifty-fifth, when Stephen Jordan replaced Christian Kalvenes and Steven Thompson came on for Robbie Blake, there was a triple substitution on the sixty-three minute mark as Simon Grayson withdrew Jason Crowe, Patrick Kisnorbo and Bradley Johnson and sent on Robert Snodgrass, Paul Huntington and Andy Robinson in their places. Snodgrass and Robinson were soon involved in some intricate play which saw Mike Grella get in a shot that went across the face of the goal. United's enterprising play got its reward after seventy minutes when Andy Robinson finished off another good move with a fine shot from just inside the box which gave Brian Jansen no chance and gave United a deserved 2-0 lead. The home team then made wholesale changes in the seventy-first minute when David Edgar came on for Clarke Carlisle, Kevin McDonald for Graham Alexander, Joey Gudjonsson for Chris McCann and Jay Rodriguez for Steven Fletcher, one of them, Kevin McDonald, shot wide soon after arriving. Aidan White came on for Ben Parker in the seventy-fifth minute and one minute later he conceded a corner from which the home side scored as David Edgar got the ball into the net from close range from a Wade Elliott cross. Enoch Showumni came off in the eightieth minute as Alan Sheehan came on as United's final substitution, leaving Shane Higgs as the only unused substitute, while Burnley also had defender Brian Easton and goalkeeper Diego Penny unused. Three minutes later Andy Robinson, who had been denied by an offside flag moments before, was narrowly wide with a shot on the turn, but there were no more goals and United deservedly won 2-1 with a confidence boosting performance and looked forward to the start of their League One campaign with relish.