REPORT: BURNLEY 2-1 BRISTOL CITY

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Clarets sign off for international break in style with win over Robins at Turf Moor

2022-09-17T16:09:48.444Z

REPORT: BURNLEY 2-1 BRISTOL CITY

Clarets sign off for international break in style with win over Robins at Turf Moor

2022-09-17T16:09:48.444Z

Clarets sign off for international break in style with win over Robins at Turf Moor

Burnley claimed a 2-1 win against Bristol City at Turf Moor in their final game before the September international break, moving up to 4th in the Sky Bet Championship table in the process.

Hometown hero Jay Rodriguez proved the matchwinner midway through the second half after Nahki Wells had levelled things up for the visitors following Manuel Benson’s early opener.

Vincent Kompany made two changes to his Clarets side from Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at Preston North End. Deadline Day signing Jordan Beyer made a first start for the Club on his home debut with Charlie Taylor missing out, while Ian Maatsen returned as Vitinho dropped to the bench.

Opponents Bristol City meanwhile maintained the same 11 from a 3-2 defeat at Norwich City in midweek. Former Burnley man Wells started up front alongside Tommy Conway and Andreas Weimann, who sat in behind the strike duo.

With this the first home game for the Clarets since the untimely passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, before kick-off the two sides and all at Turf Moor paid tribute to the monarch.

REPORT: BURNLEY 2-1 BRISTOL CITY - Image 1

Observing a minute’s silence, Gavin Young then sung the national anthem, with players & staff also wearing black armbands throughout. Supporters then held a minute’s applause throughout the 70th minute of the game to honour Her Majesty’s 70 wonderful years of service at the helm of the country.

First Half

Four minutes in, Benson latched onto a dinked ball down the right wing and beat his man to fizz a ball across the box which Nathan Tella was inches away from connecting with, but the Belgian wasn’t to be denied for long.

Less than 60 seconds later, he took the ball on the edge of the area and drove forward to net the opening goal, his first in Claret & Blue.

It could’ve been two just two minutes later as Burnley broke from their own half with Josh Cullen setting Tella away down the opposite flank to cross for Josh Brownhill. The midfielder connected with the ball on the volley, but saw his effort deflected behind for a corner against his former Club, which the Robins dealt with.

Tella was the next to go close on 24 minutes, poking a shot wide from close range having been picked out in space by Maatsen after some good link up play between Jay Rodriguez and the Dutchman.

But three minutes after that, Burnley were made to pay by the visitors who equalised via Wells. A whipped corner delivery wasn’t dealt with, and when the ball sat still on the line for the forward, he only had to tap home.

The Clarets then saw Brownhill’s free-kick deflected behind after a bad challenge on Cullen by City’s Alex Scott, but the visitors dealt with the resulting set-piece comfortably, leaving the hosts to continue searching for the goal to put them back into the lead.

REPORT: BURNLEY 2-1 BRISTOL CITY - Image 2

Maatsen also saw a shot held by Robins captain Bentley from the edge of the area having been teed by Brownhill after some determined work from Benson to keep the ball alive.

At the other end, defender Rob Atkinson surged forward to bring a routine save out of Arijanet Muric.

The Kosovan international was called into action again before the interval, smothering Conway who looked destined to hand his side a half-time lead against the run of play after Wells had squared the ball across the box to him.

It remained 1-1 come the break though following Muric’s timely intervention.

Second Half

Bristol City started the brighter at the restart having made a double change with Muric having to spring into action to tip over Wells’ looping header in the first real action of note.

Cullen then volleyed over at the opposite end, bringing an end to some pressure which Kompany’s side had built up, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson entering the action shortly after to replace Benson.

Four minutes later, the Iceland international saw a driven shot held by Bentley with Brownhill’s pass allowing him the opportunity to get the shot away.

Kompany then introduced Anass Zaroury from the bench, making his Turf Moor debut, as the Clarets tried to unlock the visitors’ backline.

KOMPANY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RETURN OF CLUB ACTION - Image 3

And less than a minute later, that’s exactly what happened as Burnley regained the lead through Rodriguez’s fifth goal of the season. The frontman glanced Gudmundsson’s cross from the right wing into the bottom corner of the net, leaving Bentley with no chance.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis was alert at the other end soon after to clear City substitute Joe Williams’ strike with the midfielder afforded space at the edge of the box from a corner.

Another substitute in Antoine Semenyo then fired over on the turn inside the area for the visitors, with Burnley doing well at the back to hold their opponents off without any real issue for Muric in the minutes that followed.

Zaroury proved a livewire down the left and brought a save out of Bentley late on, with Harwood-Bellis at the other end hooking a cross clear with Semenyo breathing down his neck.

Wells fired high and wide in the second minute added on at the end of the 90, with the Clarets seeing the game out to claim a second consecutive home win.

Burnley next return to action on Saturday, October 1, travelling to South Wales to take on Cardiff City in a 15:00 kick-off.

Burnley: Muric, Roberts, Harwood-Bellis, Beyer, Maatsen (Vitinho ’88), Cullen, Cork ©, Benson (Gudmundsson ’53), Brownhill, Tella (Zaroury ’66), Rodriguez (Dervişoğlu ’88)

Unused Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Egan-Riley, Bastien

Bristol City: Bentley ©, Sykes, Vyner, Naismith, Atkinson (Martin ’79), Dasilva, Scott (Williams HT), James (Massengo ’76), Weimann, Wells, Conway (Semenyo HT)

Unused Subs: O’Leary, King, Tanner

Goals: Benson, ‘4, Wells, ’27, Rodriguez, ‘67