MATCH REPORT: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 0

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

MATCH REPORT: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 0 - 5 BURNLEY

Five-star Clarets take all three points from Home Park

2025-01-22T22:58:41.225Z

MATCH REPORT: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 0 - 5 BURNLEY

Five-star Clarets take all three points from Home Park

2025-01-22T22:58:41.225Z

2024/25 SEASON REVIEW: JANUARY - Image 5

Burnley extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches in emphatic fashion on Wednesday night with a dominant and deserved 5-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.

Braces from Zian Flemming and Josh Laurent, followed by Josh Cullen's first goal of the campaign, gave the Clarets all three points at Home Park.

Flemming opened the scoring with a spectacular strike inside the 11th minute, before grabbing his and Burnley's second shortly after.

Laurent fired home the third with a fine effort, then heading in the fourth of the game almost on the stroke of half-time, before Cullen slotted in the fifth, of a fine first-half, deep into stoppage time.

GALLERY: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE V BURNLEY - Gallery Photo 11

Following an even opening 10 minutes, the Clarets got off to a dream start in the 11th minute. After a poor defensive clearance from Victor Palsson fell kindly to Josh Brownhill, he zipped in a fine half-volley cross for Flemming to smash home past Daniel Grimshaw in the Argyle goal.

Burnley were already dominating possession and controlling the game and midway through the first-half had another effort on target. This time Flemming’s strike from outside the area was gathered by Grimshaw.

Laurent then came close to grabbing a second goal of the night, after he brought it down well with his chest, then rifling at goal, forcing Grimshaw into action again, to push it wide for a corner.

With just over half-an-hour played in Devon the Clarets had their second and so did Flemming.

Cullen played a quick free-kick to pick out Jaidon Anthony on the edge of the area, with the winger cutting it back across the face of goal to an unmarked Flemming to slot home.

GALLERY: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE V BURNLEY - Gallery Photo 16

Just three minutes later, the visitors had their third of the half, thanks to some quick thinking from Connor Roberts and Laurent.

After receiving the ball close to the byline, Roberts hit a first-time pass into the area for Laurent, who latched onto it and picked out the top corner with a fierce strike past a stranded Grimshaw.

The game was then put out of sight on the stroke of half-time, as Lyle Foster connected onto a ball into the box and did excellently to hook it back across the area for Laurent to nod home from close range.

Burnley's first-half got even better in stoppage time, after a mix-up in Plymouth's defence, Cullen nicked the ball and slotted it past the oncoming Grimshaw to put them five goals to the good at the break.

CULLEN READY FOR LEEDS CHALLENGE - Image 1

Burnley came close to a sixth just a few minutes into the second-half, as Anthony’s teasing cross just missed the head of Flemming, who was unmarked inside the box.

With the game approaching the 70th minute mark, Parker turned to his bench for the first time with Brownhill and Anthony making way for Jeremy Sarmiento and Luca Koleosho, making further changes 10 minutes later as Hannibal and Jay Rodriguez were introduced for Flemming and Foster.

Despite the Clarets enjoying plenty of possession and looking to add more goals to the scoreline, the game ended as it was at half-time, with a 19th clean sheet of the campaign and the mouth-watering prospect of Leeds United at Turf Moor on the horizon.

GALLERY: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE V BURNLEY - Gallery Photo 27

Burnley: Trafford, Esteve, Roberts, Egan-Riley (Worrall 84), Pires, Cullen, Laurent, Brownhill (Sarmiento 68), Anthony (Koleosho 68), Foster (Hannibal 76), Flemming (Rodriguez 76)

Unused substitutes: Hladky, Egan, Humphreys, Barnes

Plymouth Argyle: Grimshaw, Mumba, Ogbeta (Sorinola HT), Hardie (Bundu HT), Pleguezuelo, Gyabi, Randell (Houghton 70), Al Hajj (Wright HT), Baidoo (Finn 82), Palsson

Unused substitutes: Baker, Cissoko, Roberts, Issaka

Goals: Flemming 11’, Flemming 30’, Laurent 34’, Laurent 45’, Cullen 45+2’