U21 REPORT: BIRMINGHAM CITY 1-1 BURNLEY

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Dervişoğlu nets as Clarets held to draw away against Blues

2023-02-13T11:00:00.000Z

U21 REPORT: BIRMINGHAM CITY 1-1 BURNLEY

Dervişoğlu nets as Clarets held to draw away against Blues

2023-02-13T11:00:00.000Z

CLARETS CALENDAR: YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEK AHEAD - Image 1

Halil Dervişoğlu played the full 90 minutes and scored as Burnley’s U21s drew 1-1 with Birmingham City at their Wast Hills Training Ground.

The Turkish forward, who also netted against the Blues at U21 level earlier this season in East Lancashire, tucked home the opener in the Midlands midway through the second half. Josh Home levelled things up for the hosts though to ensure the points were shared.

Dervişoğlu was one of three changes to the Clarets side from last week’s County Cup victory against Blackpool, with Charlie Casper and Renaldo Torraj also coming into the starting 11.

First Half

Starting strong, Ne-Jai Tucker drilled an effort wide from distance.

U21 REPORT: BIRMINGHAM CITY 1-1 BURNLEY - Image 1

But throughout the remainder of the first half, the contest became stop-start with players on both sides requiring treatment.

Both Benn Ward and Tucker were forced off, with Marcel Lewis seeing a strike tipped wide by City goalkeeper Zach Jeacock in-between their withdrawals.

In six minutes of time added on at the end of the half, Brad Grant glanced a header wide and Dervişoğlu intercepted a wayward pass to break into the area, but couldn’t find Lewis at the back post with a cross to the back post.

Second Half

Again coming out the blocks quicker at the restart, Burnley came close to the first goal of the game through a Dervişoğlu header before eventually taking the lead on 55 minutes via the foot of the same man.

Friendlies added for both sides with league games moved in run up to end of season

The forward finished off a wonderful move which saw an inch-perfect ball from Jack Turner to Torraj out on the right wing, and the Albanian squared for Dervişoğlu to tap home.

Soon after, Turner and Torraj connected again with the latter sending a strike over the bar. Jeacock then denied Dervişoğlu a second of the game, while at the other end Keyendrah Simmonds struck wide on the half volley from distance.

The Clarets continued to apply pressure, seeing Torraj denied by a last-ditch block from Chris Ogor and Kade Ratchford go close with a delicate dink towards the top corner which went narrowly over.

U21 REPORT: BIRMINGHAM CITY 1-1 BURNLEY - Image 3

But on 73 minutes, against the run of play, the hosts broke from a Burnley corner and Home – on the edge of the area – found the top corner with a rasping strike to level things up.

Winger Lewis tried his luck with a cross-cum-shot in response, while Casper tipped a whipped delivery over the bar.

In the closing stages, Seb Thompson’s header from Lewis’ cross was kept out only by a superb Jeacock reflex save, and Dervişoğlu was again kept out by an Ogor block after some fantastic footwork to carve out the space for a shot.