FOOTBALL

HUGHES GETS READY FOR A GRILLING IN DESERT HEAT

Sunday November 8,2009

By John Richardson

MANCHESTER CITY boss Mark Hughes and his team felt the heat of the Arab desert long before they are due to arrive in Abu Dhabi.

An expected audience with owner Sheikh Mansour this week, when City take on the United Arab Emirates, doesn’t look too inviting after this mess-up.

It appeared yesterday in this Jekyll and Hyde performance that City’s lofty ambitions have been built on sand and there will be some tough questioning in the Sheikh’s palace after a fifth consecutive draw.

Two-nil down to the local upstarts, City bounced back to lead 3-2 and suddenly the sunshine break looked far more appealing.

A nearly man for England but still crucial in City’s fortunes, Shaun Wright-Phillips led the recovery
charge, scoring just before the break and being instrumental in the third.

But Burnley refused to surrender and in the dying minutes substitute Kevin McDonald forced the ball home at the far post following a headed assist from the hard-working Steven Fletcher.

For Burnley’s impressive boss Owen Coyle, it summed up his week. He surely experienced a fi rst by being invited to open an escalator in the town centre.

No one could argue against him being the man to cut the tape because it’s been a season of up and downs for the Premier League new boys.

Full of hope at home, where they have gleaned 15 points from 18; hopeless on their travels, arriving here having lost all five league games on the road.

At least they were given a helping hand in their desire to improve a miserable sequence when Joleon Lescott turned from £24million footballer into a basketball defensive guard, clearly jumping and handling a Tyrone Mears cross inside the box. Even referee Stuart Attwell, who infamously failed to give a goal last

season, couldn’t help but point to the spot. When Graham Alexander stepped up the outcome was virtually sealed.

The oldest outfield player in the Premier League doesn’t usually miss from 12 yards and another confi dent spot-kick buried itself beyond Shay Given’s dive.

Worse was to follow for a City side who seemed to have a defensive death wish. Given foiled Chris Eagles, but when City hesitated from the clearance, Robbie Blake fed Eagles and his low cross was comfortably prodded home
by Steven Fletcher.

This was now crisis time for the home club and the temperature in the City dug-out soared, manager Hughes and his assistants believing the referee’s decisions were going against them.

At least there are goals in a team which boasts such attacking talent like Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy and Wright-Phillips.

Bellamy was denied by Brian Jensen’s outstretched foot but there was nothing ‘The Beast’ could do just before the break as Wright-Phillips jinked to the edge of the area and his low strike curled into the far corner, deflecting off City old boy Stephen Jordan.

City came flying out of the blocks in the second half and were level when Lescott turned Gareth Barry’s free-kick into Kolo Toure’s path for the former Arsenal defender’s fi rst Premier League goal in Sky Blue.

It seemed all over for them just a couple of minutes later, when Stephen Ireland found Wright-Phillips.

And although his cross was missed by Tevez, Bellamy was on hand to hammer in. But Burnley had the fi nal word.

Cue the final whistle and boos from the home fans.

MAN CITY 3
BURNLEY 3