Burnley v Doncaster Preview

Posted on | November 21, 2008 | No Comments

Although it may not sound glamorous on paper, this is a game which could make or break one of these two team’s seasons. Burnley have had an absolutely fantastic start to the season and now lie in 4th position, while Doncaster recorded their first win in thirteen on Saturday yet still sit at the foot of the table. With Christmas just around the corner, plenty of games are on the horizon and both teams will see this as a fixture they must get something out of if they are to head into the festive season confidently.

Even though they spent more than they’re used to during the summer, nobody could have expected Burnley to be in this lofty position. While Owen Coyle seemed to make some shrewd buys through pre-season, the fact is that there are plenty more sides splashing the cash and you just wouldn’t expect the Clarets to be competing. After a dismal opening few games to the campaign Burnley have turned things round drastically and are now one of the teams to beat in the division. They’ve lost just one of their last eight and with that including a penalty shootout win over Premiership giants Chelsea, confident is as sky high at Turf Moor. They’re quite a few points off the top two yet that won’t bother Clarets fans – their main aim now must be to consolidate and make sure they continue in this spectacular fashion.

A 1-0 win against Ipswich on Saturday has given supporters of Doncaster something to finally cheer about. Rovers hadn’t even scored a goal at the Keepmoat Stadium for over two months so to record a victory was something special for the Donny faithful. Despite the result, they still sit bottom of the table but it could have been so much worse. With various relegation rivals carving out decent results, a defeat to Ipswich would have left Sean O’Driscoll’s men really struggling and umpteen points from safety. Even though there’s still a long way to go, only four points separates them from 21st placed Southampton so there is a definite goal in mind and they’ll be aiming to close that gap this weekend.

Owen Coyle may have to be without Michael Duff and Stephen Caldwell with both defenders doubtful with injuries.  Coyle also has another problem at the back, with full back Christian Kalvenes not yet match fit following injury. As for Doncaster, they don’t have any new problems and following their victory over Ipswich last Saturday, it wouldn’t be a surprise should Sean O’Driscoll keep things the same.

Doncaster may have grinded out a much-needed victory over Ipswich last week, but we still think they’re going to struggle this season. Ipswich weren’t at the races that day and even though Donny are renowned for their passing game, they lack that vital firepower. Burnley on the other hand are performing fantastically and we expect them to cement their play off placing even more so in this one – 2-0 Clarets.

Related posts:

1. Doncaster v Ipswich Preview
2. Ipswich v Doncaster Preview
3. Crystal Palace v Doncaster Preview
4. Barnsley v Burnley Preview
5. Norwich v Doncaster Preview

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