REPORT: WATFORD 1 - 2 BURNLEY

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Clarets snatch all three points at Vicarage Road

2022-04-30T17:19:10.697Z

REPORT: WATFORD 1 - 2 BURNLEY

Clarets snatch all three points at Vicarage Road

2022-04-30T17:19:10.697Z

BROWNHILL FOCUSSED ON WATFORD TEST - Image 2

Burnley came from behind to win 2-1 away against Watford on Saturday afternoon, earning three crucial Premier League points in the process.

The hosts had taken the lead early on through a James Tarkowski own goal, but battling to the end, the Clarets turned it around in a superb final 10 minutes with Jack Cork equalising and Josh Brownhill grabbing a late winner.

Currently in charge of first team matters, U23s boss Mike Jackson made just one change to the side that won 1-0 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Aaron Lennon came into the starting eleven in place of Jay Rodriguez who missed out.

Meanwhile, Watford made three changes to their starting lineup from a 5-1 defeat at Manchester City last time out.

Joao Pedro, Kiko Femenia and Juraj Kucka all came in from the off at Vicarage Road with Jeremy Ngakia and Josh King both starting as substitutes. Ex-Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley dropped out of the Hornets squad.

First Half

Watford started the quicker and were ahead on eight minutes with a slice of fortune to the goal. Kucka got on the ball in the area and struck at goal with the shot cannoning off the underside of the crossbar and bouncing in off Clarets captain Tarkowski who was trying to clear.

The Slovakian also sent a header wide soon after as well as having a shot blocked by Tarkowski from a similar position to which he fired from earlier in the contest.

On 16 minutes, Burnley had their first sight of goal through Brownhill who fired wide from the edge of the area. Lennon also fizzed a ball across goal which Wout Weghorst was inches away from connecting with.

And on 27 minutes, Weghorst thought he had the opportunity to convert from 12 yards out when referee Craig Pawson awarded the Clarets a penalty for a foul on Dwight McNeil.

A lengthy VAR review concluded McNeil was outside the area when the contact on him was made though, with the penalty ruled out and a free-kick given which was dealt with by the hosts.

Before the break, Matej Vydra also hit wide on the volley against his former club having done well to control a pass from Connor Roberts, while Nick Pope ensured it would remain at 1-0 at the interval with a reaction stop from Imran Louza’s free-kick in time added on.

Second Half

At the restart, both goalkeepers pulled off two excellent saves within six minutes. Lennon’s shot from inside the area after a strong run was first kept out by Ben Foster’s fingertips, before Pope again denied Kucka at close range with his own acrobatic reflexes.

Sandwiched between those chances, Nathan Collins saw an effort blocked before his volleyed rebound was held by Foster.

On 70 minutes, Tarkowski then saw a header from a corner go over the bar, with the defender unsighted after the ball had come through numerous bodies including that of Foster who failed to gather.

Soon after, having come off the bench, Ashley Barnes was denied an equaliser by a matter of centimetres. The striker met a corner and headed goalwards, only for a combination of Foster’s gloves and the underside of the crossbar to keep the effort out

Brownhill also saw a volley at goal blocked away and McNeil forced Foster into action oncemore with a whipped free-kick which the Hornets ‘keeper punched clear of danger.

The Clarets pressure eventually paid off on 83 minutes with the equaliser that they had been chasing, and it came from the head of Cork.

Charlie Taylor surged down the left wing and whipped a deep cross to the back post, with Cork stooping low to nod home.

And just three minutes later, Brownhill fired home the winner. A free-kick was kept alive with Vydra knocking the ball to the midfielder on the edge to smash home with a low drive, sending the travelling faithful into delirium.

The Clarets return to action at Turf Moor next Saturday – May 7 – with a 3:00pm kick-off in the Premier League against Aston Villa.