U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 AFC BOURNEMOUTH

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Young Clarets victorious at Turf Moor

2024-03-22T16:11:27.185Z

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 AFC BOURNEMOUTH

Young Clarets victorious at Turf Moor

2024-03-22T16:11:27.185Z

Young Clarets victorious at Turf Moor

Burnley U21s stretched their winning Professional Development League run to three matches with a 3-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth at Turf Moor on Friday afternoon.

Goals from Renaldo Torraj and Tom Tweedy gave the young Clarets a quickfire lead and after the visitors pulled one back, Vernon Masara wrapped up proceedings on the counterattack in the dying seconds.

Manager Andy Farrell made four changes to the XI that started against Crewe Alexandra earlier this week, with Charlie Casper taking his place in goal.

Bradley Grant returned at left-back, with Torraj starting on the left of the forward line and Masara playing through the middle.

Burnley made the best possible start, taking the lead with less than two minutes on the clock when Tweedy crossed for Torraj to head in from six yards.

It was 2-0 just before the 20-minute mark as the combination for the opener reversed roles. This time it was Torraj who laid it on a plate for Tweedy to head in at the back post.

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 AFC BOURNEMOUTH - Image 1

Bournemouth then started to gain a foothold in the match, with Balraj Landa curling narrowly wide of Casper’s right-hand post.

Alex Healy-Byrne later produced an important block to thwart a goal bound effort and the Cherries did eventually find the net before halftime.

Captain Max Kinsey rose highest to head in deep cross, meaning the Clarets’ lead was one at the break.

Farrell made two changes at the start of the second period, bringing Joe Ashton on for Logan Pye in defence and goal scorer Torraj making way for Trialist.

The young Clarets started the second half in similar fashion to the first, pressing high and pinning the visitors in.

That resulted in attacking chances, with Grant heading over from a corner and Masara firing wide after good skill to beat his man.

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 AFC BOURNEMOUTH - Image 2

In what turned into an end-to-end game Bournemouth had chances of their own, with Casper saving an effort low to his left and producing a flying stop to deny Daniel Adu-Adjei.

As the Cherries pushed for an equaliser they sent goalkeeper Callan McKenna forward for a corner.

Burnley countered and Masara beat a defender too the loose ball in his own half, sprinted forward and rolled the ball into an empty net for his seventh goal in five games.

The U21s now have 34 points from 19 matches and are next in action on Tuesday 26th March, travelling to Wales to take on Wrexham in the Central League Cup.

Burnley: Casper, Healy-Byrne, Grant, Ward, Pye (Ashton 46’), Hugill, Bevan (Parker 81’), McDermott (O’Neill 71’), Tweedy, Torraj (Trialist 46’), Masara

Unused Subs: Moss

AFC Bournemouth: McKenna, Tonks, Osborne, Brown, Kinsey, Harris, Williams, Sadi, Adu-Adjei, Landa, Tydeman

Subs: Eagle, Allan, Johnson, Gregory, Clarke

Goals: Torraj 2’, Tweedy 19’, Kinsey 40’, Masara 90+5