Rodriguez goals see Clarets to victory

Last updated : 10 January 2007 By Tony Scholes

Jay Rodriguez - scored both goals including a stunning second

Those at the game will go home talking about the second goal, it was an absolute stunner and as good as anything in BBC's Goal of the Month competition for last month. Without any exaggeration Rodrigues was somewhere between 35 and 40 yards from goal when the ball dropped. He hit an amazing dipping shot with some power that incredibly the Luton keeper Faulds got a touch to but there was no way he was stopping it as it flew into the net.

It was no more than we deserved after probably the team's best performance of the season and we were easy winners in the end after totally dominating proceedings in the second half.

We played up the hill towards the cricket ground in the first forty-five minutes and in the early stages it was a fairly even contest. Neither goalkeeper was called upon until Luton came close to taking the lead but Tom Bradley was there to head the ball off the line.

Some very good football was played by both sides in an entertaining first half and the Clarets, in the main had the edge. We came close a couple of times but then came a very rare moment for those of us watching, we saw a Burnley team win a penalty. It looked a clear handball and after some discussion Ali Akbar gave way to allow Rodriguez to take the spot kick.

The keeper went the right way and saved the penalty but thankfully Jay was following up and made no mistake from the rebound to give the Clarets the lead. It was a lead that nearly didn't last as Bradley sliced a ball that looked to be heading right into his own goal but Jon Sergeant got across to save well at the expense of a corner.

We were worth the lead at half time, it had been an excellent first half. After a quiet start the second half became very much Burnley's. We were on top throughout and just needed a second goal to see Luton off. The keeper saved well once from a long range effort from Jay, so the Burnley striker just went further out and hit that stunning second.

There was no way back for Luton after that and it was just a matter of whether we could add to the goal tally. It wasn't to be but the small crowd gave the lads a well deserved ovation at the end as they left the field in front of a clearly delighted coach Terry Pashley and Head of Youth Development Vince Overson.

It was a good performance and I think it is more than fair to say that everyone of the players had good games. It's certainly the best I've seen us play this season and now hopefully these lads will get a good tie in the next round.

Well done again.

The teams were;

Burnley: Jon Sergeant, Ben Hoskin, Jack Overson (Paul Casey 75), Chris Lynch, Tom Bradley, Chris Anderson, Alex-Ray Harvey, Adam Kay, Ali Akbar (Ash Young 90), Jay Rodriguez (Alex McDonald 90), Rob Turner. Subs: Lewis Craig, Nikolaus Kudiersky.

Luton: R Faulds, J Suutoe, E Asafu-Adjaya, R Sinclair, M Kennerford, R Preston, B Strang, G Beaven, M Laitland, J Selby, E Osborne-Ricketts. Sub: J McGuiness, R Charles, A Harrison-Barker, J Howells, M Farthing, A Watkins.