Full Time: Aberdeen 1-1 Burnley
Burnley eked out a 1-1 draw against Scottish side Aberdeen in the first-leg of their UEFA Europa League second-round qualifying clash at the Pittodrie on Thursday night.
Sean Dyche’s Clarets were pegged back as early as the 19th minute, when defender James Tarkowski conceded a penalty, fouling Sam Cosgrove in the box. Gary Mackay-Steven made no mistake from the spot. However, substitute Sam Vokes fired home in the 80th minute to reinstate parity and hand his team a slight edge ahead of the return leg next Thursday.
Here’s how the Burnley players fared on the night in Scotland.
Burnley Player Ratings
Nick Pope – N/A
Unlucky to be taken off just 14 minutes into the game with a shoulder injury.
Matthew Lowton – 5.5/10
Tried to get Burnley going forward from the right flank but his end product was a major let-down. Part of a backline that was exposed on occasions.
James Tarkowski – 4/10
Way off from the solid self that he was last season. Gave away the penalty early in the game that put his team on the back foot. Looked shaky and distribution was off.
Ben Mee – 5/10
Another player who was well off his standards on the night for the Clarets. Was all over the place at times when Aberdeen threatened. Needs to pull up his socks for the second leg.
Stephen Ward – 5.5/10
Like Lowton, the crossing was nowhere near the desired level and he wasn’t his usual reliable self at the back.
Johann Berg-Gudmundsson – 6/10
One of the few Burnley players who looked to make something happen on the night in Pittodrie. Was a threat whenever he had the ball and got into some dangerous positions.
Jack Cork – 6/10
Not at his sharpest but dug in well in the middle of the park, battling for each ball and adding his usual work-rate and tenacity.
Ashley Westwood – 5/10
Tried to get his team going with forward passes but wasn’t always successful in finding his intended targets. Got caught out in possession at times.
Aaron Lennon – 6/10
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Everton winger looked lively on the flanks. Made some decent runs, especially in the first period.
Jeff Hendrick – 5/10
Playing in the hole behind the striker, Hendrick did not offer a lot in the final third. Dropped deep more often than not in search of the ball. While he was neat and tidy in possession, he needs to do more in the attack.
Chris Wood – 4/10
Absolutely ineffective considering he got very little service to work with throughout the game. On the rare occasion when he did get into the game, he almost instantly gave the ball away.
Substitutes
Anders Lindegaard – 7/10
On for the injured Pope early in the game. Put in a solid performance between the sticks. Did little wrong.
Sam Vokes – 7/10
Replaced Hendrick in the 67th minute and livened things up at the top with his presence. Scored the all-important equaliser with 10 minutes left on the clock.
Here’s how the Burnley fans reacted to the result.
1-1 is certainly a good result for the Clarets. It was never going to be an easy game, like some people assumed, and Aberdeen played well. The away goal will give Burnley a significant advantage going into the second-leg. Take the positives; it’s still pre-season. #twitterclarets
— Jonny Bentley (@SportsJonny) July 26, 2018
Without sounding ignorant I think we have enough quality to win. It showed tonight with how we controlled most of the game despite conceding a soft penalty. However, we did look shakey at the back at times which isn’t like us. Will be a great game that’s for sure.
— Matt Lambert (@MattLambert10) July 26, 2018
Get in, can’t have you losing to these skirt wearing cunts. Well played pulling it back and best of luck in the second leg
— Louis McGivern (@Lmcg654) July 26, 2018
Good game played guys not really easy but you were able to savage a draw,you need to finish the game turf mor,you made us proud
— Isaac (@Isaac35290481) July 26, 2018
Aberdeen will get tanked about 5-0 at Burnley, heard it here first! #Tinpot
— Alex Baraclough (@ABaraclough) July 26, 2018
Bye bye Aberdeen burnley will go through
— Kev1954 (@Kev19542) July 26, 2018
Hmmm. Predictable but not a bad result with the important away goal. Why do we always struggle in cup games!? Well done Vokesy.
— Nick (@SussexClaretBFC) July 26, 2018
Vokes totally changed the game when he game on. Our defence couldn’t handle him. Tense match, thought we were going to hold on for the win but I think we can be pleased with that performance. Will be tough for us to win at Turf Moor but you never know!
— Montgomery Toblerone (@mntgmry19) July 26, 2018