History will be kind to me because I intend to write it

HELGUSON DEAL OVER?

Gareth Ainsworth, the Queens Park Rangers caretaker manager, will not be able to call upon the services of Heidar Helguson for Saturday's Championship match at Loftus Road against Burnley.

The London club, seventh in the table, had been trying to speed up the loan deal for the Bolton forward having learned that Akos Buzsaky is likely to be out for the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage following the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.

QPR had targeted the out-of-favour Icelandic international, 31, but Ainsworth, who cannot suggest possible targets himself, has revealed that the deal could be scuppered.

"It's something that I'm not really dealing with - people above me are trying to sort things out out with Heidar," said the 35-year-old of Helguson, who had a medical at the club on Thursday afternoon. "But I think they have hit a couple of stumbling blocks. The squad I have at the moment is the squad I have to select from against fifth-placed Burnley, who defeated Chelsea on penalties on Wednesday.

"Being caretaker manager it is very difficult to suggest players for the club. I have a lot to deal with at the moment. But at the moment I am very happy with the squad - it's very strong.

"We have a strong enough squad to defeat anyone in the league. So hopefully we can get a result against giant-killers Burnley at home."

On Buzsaky's absence Ainsworth added: "Akos has been one of our best players of late. He came back and has been opening defences up. He does magical things so he is going to be a huge loss."

Labels: Akos Buzsaky, Burnley, Championship, Gareth Ainsworth, Heidar Helguson, Queens Park Rangers

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:56 pm | Permalink | Comments

Burnley 2 Southampton 3 (23/9/06)

Southampton fans who made the long trip north left Burnley chuffed with a 3-2 victory - their first since 1971 at Turf Moor - and a sun tan. They were fortunate for both. The unseasonable sunshine had been unpredicted, unlike the result, which had been favoured by the bookies who reasoned Southampton would snatch an away win. Forward Grzegroz Rasiak, who has a knack of scoring against Burnley, fired a brace to propel the Saints to third in the table, only a point behind the leaders.

Bertie Bee - the Burnley mascot - was caught cursing the heat in the toilets before kick off, sweat dripping from his unmasked forehead. The heat soon caused tensions boil over in a fiercely competitive match between two teams who have started the season well.

After assisting his side's fourth-minute goal, home captain Wayne Thomas saw straight red in the 16th minute after needlessly elbowing Jhon Viafara to the ground in the wall, when it was Burnley’s free kick. Until then Thomas's team had looked assertive and in charge having scored with their first shot on goal.

From Michael Duff's long throw from the right, Thomas had flicked the ball onto a grateful Steve Jones - an impressive summer signing from Crewe - who pivoted and crashed the ball home.

Striker Andy Gray had scored in the first minute against Stoke in the previous match, and Burnley had held on to the win, but yesterday Thomas's hot-headedness cost his team ultimately. “It was unbelievable stupidity which cost us,” Steve Cotterill the angry Burnley manager said of his defender's challenge. "I'm convinced we would have gone on to win that.” Cotterill, when asked whether he will strip Thomas of his captaincy, said “I'll sleep on it.”

George Burley, the Southampton manager, agreed that his team were fortunate. "They are right to feel hard done by. They deserved something from the game from the way they battled with ten men. I wasn't particularly happy with they way we played. You have got to look at three goals and tremendous finishes. That's what has won us the match."

It took only two minutes for Southampton to equalise after Thomas' exit, as the home side struggled to reorganise their defence. A cross from Chris Makin, marauding down the left, found the head of Rasiak. These chances are the Polish international’s bread and butter, and he finished easily past Brian Jensen's outstretched left hand.

Although Burnley nosed themselves back in front before half time through a poorly defended free kick, from which Gray scored a glancing header into the bottom left hand corner, the heat soon sapped their energy in the second half.

Nine minutes after the restart Southampton left midfielder Rudi Skacel cut inside, found space and time to rifle a 20 yard drive past the sprawling Jensen. Rasiak's winner after 54 minutes, was almost identical to his first goal - a header assisted by Makin again. The two goals took him to eight goals for the season, and Southampton will be looking or more of his clinical finishing if they are to realise their lofty ambitions come May.

Man of the Match: Grzegroz Rasiak. Southampton's Polish striker showed some neat touches and the ability to out-think defenders. His two goals were the difference between the sides.

Attendance: 13,051

Burnley: Jensen; Duff, Thomas (c) (sent off 16), McGreal, Harley; Elliott (Sinclair 28), O'Connor, Hyde (Mahon 79), Jones (McCann 66); Noel-Williams, Gray (booked 61). Unused subs: Lafferty, Foster.

Southampton: Davis; Wright, Baird (c), Pele, Makin; Belmadi (Dyer 85), Idiakez, Viafara (booked 52), Skacel (Surman 84); Wright-Phillips (Jones 65), Rasiak. Unused subs: Miller, Bale.

Referee: D Drysdale, Lincolnshire.

Labels: Burnley, Championship, football, Southampton

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 12:24 pm | Permalink | Comments