Verdict on Burnley's 2-0 friendly defeat to Genk

Burnley FC writer Matt Scrafton delivers his verdict on the 2-0 pre-season friendly defeat to KRC Genk.

Transcript

00:00 So it's full time here at the A. Sajika Arena in Genk.

00:04 A 2-0 defeat to Burleigh, their first setback of pre-season, having won all four of their games behind closed doors.

00:10 A funny game really, Burleigh were on the better side in the first half,

00:14 they found themselves 1-0 down at the break after receiving an early goal.

00:17 Looked through the back through James Tafford, and then Genk worked to the right,

00:23 and then a deep cross towards the back post, and Tafford got caught under it and Genk were able to force it over the line from there.

00:30 It's a credit to Tafford, he didn't let it affect him, as you can see he is calm and composed on the ball,

00:36 and he was fine for the rest of the game, so I'm sure that he won to learn from that early error.

00:42 Burleigh were on the better side in the first half, they created more chances, more threatening in the final third,

00:47 just didn't really show that clinical touch in front of goal.

00:50 The second half was a bit more ragged, even though Genk made some wholesale changes with one eye on their Champions League game in midweek.

00:59 It's only that Burleigh made three changes, with two of those coming quite late on,

01:04 so they kept hold of their slight 11th of most of the game.

01:09 But yeah, the last 20 minutes or so, really ragged, Genk played through them far too easily,

01:14 and eventually had their second two minutes from the end with a header.

01:18 But not to worry, as I said, in the main Burleigh were what we saw from last season,

01:24 that sharp football, really good tempo, just need to sharpen up now,

01:29 because I'm sure they will, because they've got games coming up, a training camp in Lisbon,

01:33 and they play on a 10-feet plan Tuesday.

01:36 So yeah, the mod's come from Burleigh, finished here 2-0.

01:40 (audience laughing)