Albion v Burnley - from The Amex (From The Argus)

4:59pm

Muted celebrations - but it's three wins and three clean sheets in four matches now! Thanks for following.

4:58pm

4:57pm

4:56pm

Upson blocked a shot and Greer headed away a cross amid tense scenes before Albion could celebrate victory.

4:51pm

Still Albion did not have enough defenders when a cross was arrowed in from a deep position on the Burnley right towards Austin. The striker rose well but his header bounced wide to the obvious frustration of the visiting management team.

4:49pm

Greer slotted in as the central of three centre-backs.

4:49pm

Greer made his return from injury as an 88th minute replacement for Vicente.

4:46pm

4:45pm

Vicente's free-kick took a big deflection and went behind for a corner, which was taken by Vicente and punched away by Grant.

4:41pm

Former Albion target man Vokes went on as sub for holding midfielder Stock in the 81st minute.

4:38pm

4:37pm

Treacy posed danger when he got away in midfield and made ground to the edge of the box, where Bruno took the ball off him with a well-timed challenge.

Vicente thought he had unlocked the visitors when he sent Barnes through with a reverse pass. But the striker was offside.

Still, home fans were becoming increasingly uneasy - and that feeling grew when Hammond had to make a great tackle in his own box to get the ball away from Ings.

4:33pm

Breaking off from my running copy for a moment, have to say this has been a really flat second half. Albion just trying to grind out the win.

4:32pm

Marney made way for Bartley in the 72nd minute

4:30pm

4:28pm

Ings caused real problems when his run took him all the way to the Albion byline but no one could force the ball home from close range.

4:26pm

4:25pm

Albion sent on Barnes and Mackail-Smith for Orlandi and Ulloa in the 64th minute.

4:24pm

Burnley should have levelled in the 62nd minute. Lafferty's cross was missed in front of goal by Austin and then turned over by McCann arriving behind him at the far post.

4:22pm

Little had been seen of Vicente in this half and Poyet prepared to make changes as he called Barnes and Mackail-Smith from their warm-up near the corner flag.

4:21pm

4:17pm

Burnley, though, were looking the more dangerous side.

4:15pm

Bridge lifted home fans by again getting away down the left but Ulloa could not control his low cross cleanly and then sent a rather laboured attempt at a volley too close to Grant in goal.

4:12pm

4:12pm

Burnley were looking to get balls in from out wide. Austin for once got above El-Abd in the 50th minute but his header went gently into the arms of Kuszczak.

Still, apart from one nice combination between Bruno and David Lopez in front of the West Stand, it was a flat opening to the half by the hosts.

4:08pm

Ings almost made an immediate impact but was unable to get a touch as the ball bounced invitingly around the home goalmouth.

3:49pm

3:48pm

It had turned into an entertaining half with chances at both ends.

3:45pm

3:45pm

Ulloa should have doubled the lead on 40 minutes but somehow failed to turn in Orlandi's low cross at point blank range, shooting off target with home fans already celebrating a goal.

3:43pm

Albion needed to get Vicente back on the ball. When they did, he released Orlandi down the left and was then close to making contact with the resulting low cross right in front of goal.

3:41pm

Two more corners quickly followed. Kuszczak tipped the first behind at his far post, then produced wonders from the second. Again Shackell met the left-wing delivery with a terrific downward header, going just inside the post. But Kuszczak got down to his left and somehow stuck out a hand to claw the ball away from the bottom corner.

3:37pm

Shackell, up from the back, met the corner with a textbook downward header back across Kuszczak which was cleared off the line by Dicker as he patrolled the near post.

3:36pm

When Albion got a free-kick clear, Burnley played the ball back in and suddenly Stanislas was behind the home defence. El-Abd did well to block his cross for another corner - and from that Burnley almost levelled.

3:34pm

That last retweet included John Byrne's view of the goal.

3:33pm

3:33pm

El-Abd then cleared another Stanislas cross - and Poyet did not look happy about the way his side had played since going ahead.

3:32pm

3:31pm

Burnley made a good response to going behind and El-Abd had to clear two crosses, the second at the expense of a corner which Ulloa nodded clear under pressure..

3:29pm

3:22pm

3:21pm

3:21pm

3:18pm

Vicente's next pass put to the left got Orlandi away to win a corner. Vicente took the right-sided flag kick and it flicked off the top of Orlandi's head and over the bar.

3:16pm

The former Spain star, playing in areas between Ulloa and the midfield, twice released Bridge down the left in quick succession - but each time the resulting low cross evaded home players.

Then, at the other end, Upson produced some strong defending to hold off Austin as they challenged for a cross.

Treacy tried a curler from the right edge of the box but it was always heading at least a yard wide of the far post.

3:13pm

Vicente brought applause with a couple of early runs and passes.

3:11pm

3:11pm

An intended cross from the right by Stanislas offered more alarm. It looked like sneaking under the bar until Kuszczak back-pedalled and tipped it over the bar at full stretch.

3:09pm

There was little to excite in the very early stages. Burnley got Austin in behind the defence with a long ball but there was no team mate anywhere near the lone striker's cross and El-Abd tidied up.

3:06pm

Stanislas on the right for Burnley.

3:04pm

I don't know if Bruno made a losing start as skipper at the coin-toss but the teams have changed ends. Albion will go towards the North Stand in this first half. Match is in progress

3:01pm

Will Buckley is unwell. Has a virus. Didn't catch it from me. I spoke to him on the phone!

3:01pm

3:00pm

Will be interesting to see which side wideman Stanislas plays today for Burnley. They like to get the right-footer on the left if they can to whip in shots and inswinging crosses.

Also looking forward to seeing who offers Albion their attacking width. Down to the full-backs?  

2:57pm

2:53pm

2:53pm

2:52pm

2:52pm

There is my tweet from earlier. Let's have a little look at Twitter and see what anyone else is saying.

2:51pm

2:51pm

We have heard no reason for Buckley's absence. I spoke to him at 3.30pm on Thursday and he said then he was fine, although a bit tired from the Cardiff game. 

2:49pm

Team news was posted earlier. Vicente and Dicker for Buckley and the suspended Bridcutt. Hammond passed fit. Bruno skipper. Greer and Mackail-Smith on the bench. No Buckley. Burnley likely to go 4-1-4-1.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/albion/10247919.Hammond_fit___and_in_come_Vicente_and_Dicker/

2:48pm

Have a look at that little weather panel towards the top right of the screen. Looks cold doesn't it? Well, it very much sums up conditions here at The Amex - although mercifully there have, as yet, been none of those snow flurries we saw this morning. The pitch is looking just a little bit worn in small patches.

2:42pm

They have won away to the leaders – now Albion need to back that up on a bitterly cold afternoon back home at The Amex if they are to maintain momentum in their push for the play-offs.