2 years ago
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Burnley have a 14-point gap to third-placed BlackburnVincent Kompany's Burnley made it five straight league wins as they scraped to a narrow victory at Alex Neil's fiery Stoke to climb three points clear at the top of the Championship again.
Josh Cullen's scrappy close-range strike on 60 minutes - his first goal for the club - proved the difference between the two sides.
But the in-form Clarets were given one of their toughest tests of the season before restoring their three-point cushion over Sheffield United, who had won at Blackpool 24 hours earlier.
Out-of-form Stoke, now just five points clear of danger, looked like they had Burnley rattled early on.
Confusion between Ian Maatsen and goalkeeper Arijanet Muric as Tyrese Campbell gave chase to what seemed in vain pursuit of a hopeful long ball allowed the Stoke striker to round the keeper and get to the byline wide out.
But, when he squared over to what should have been an almost empty net, nobody had made the supporting run.
Campbell then had a shot blocked after a skewed clearance from Muric.
Burnley began to take more control and might have had a penalty claim when Manuel Benson's run into the Stoke penalty area ended when he was seemingly brought down by Morgan Fox.
Referee Keith Stroud waved the visitors' claims away, just as he did for two Burnley penalty shouts in the second half.
There was a double escape for Burnley when Harry Souttar had a shot blocked at close range by keeper Muric in a scramble.
But the Clarets had a bit extra waiting on the bench in the form of Morocco's Anass Zaroury and top scorer Jay Rodriguez - and within eight minutes of them coming on Burnley struck.
Harry Clarke had a chance on the goal line to clear Benson's deflected shot but it rebounded back off keeper Jack Bonham a few feet off the floor and Cullen flew in to take to the air and prod the ball over the line.
Who's next?
Stoke are at home again on Monday against Preston, while Burnley go to Swansea.
Line-ups
Stoke
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Bonham
- 2ClarkeBooked at 45mins
- 5Souttar
- 16Wilmot
- 3Fox
- 8BakerBooked at 89mins
- 15ThompsonSubstituted forPowellat 79'minutes
- 10Campbell
- 18SmallboneSubstituted forLaurentat 72'minutes
- 14TymonSubstituted forFosu-Henryat 71'minutes
- 9BrownSubstituted forDelapat 71'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Bursik
- 17Delap
- 22Kilkenny
- 24Fosu-Henry
- 25Powell
- 28Laurent
- 32Taylor
Burnley
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 49Muric
- 14Roberts
- 5Harwood-Bellis
- 36Beyer
- 29MaatsenBooked at 74minsSubstituted forTaylorat 84'minutes
- 4Cork
- 24CullenBooked at 29mins
- 17ManuelSubstituted forTellaat 69'minutes
- 8Brownhill
- 27ChurlinovSubstituted forZarouryat 52'minutes
- 10BarnesBooked at 33minsSubstituted forRodríguezat 52'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Taylor
- 7Gudmundsson
- 9Rodríguez
- 11Twine
- 15Peacock-Farrell
- 19Zaroury
- 23Tella
Referee:Keith Stroud
Attendance:21,464
Live Text
Match ends, Stoke City 0, Burnley 1.
Second Half ends, Stoke City 0, Burnley 1.
Josh Cullen (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Liam Delap (Stoke City).
Josh Cullen (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Nick Powell (Stoke City).
Lewis Baker (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Nathan Tella (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lewis Baker (Stoke City).
Foul by Nathan Tella (Burnley).
Ben Wilmot (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Josh Brownhill (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Harry Souttar (Stoke City).
Foul by Josh Brownhill (Burnley).
Lewis Baker (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Jack Cork (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lewis Baker (Stoke City).
Substitution, Burnley. Charlie Taylor replaces Ian Maatsen.
Attempt missed. Josh Brownhill (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left from a direct free kick.
Nathan Tella (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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