Championship leaders Burnley came from behind to beat West Bromwich Albion at Turf Moor as Vincent Co.’s Clarets strengthened their grip on top spot.
After being stung by Darnell Furlong’s controversial opener early in the first half, Burnley trailed at the break in a thrilling, high-intensity contest before striking with two goals in the final 15 minutes.
Top scorer Nathan Tella equalized with his ninth goal of the season before Scott Twine stepped off the bench to curl in a deserved 87th-minute winner for his injury-hit summer signing and Carlos Corbyn’s 12 games I only condemned the third defeat. Baggs Boss
Burnley’s eighth league win in a row moved the Clarets 19 points clear of third-placed Watford and five clear of second-placed Sheffield United, who also won at home to Hull City. And that makes an immediate return to the Premier League look inevitable for a Burnley side who have lost just twice in 28 league games this season.
Albion took the lead in the seventh minute when John Swift cut in from the right, and Furlong made a powerful push from behind to head home defender Charlie Taylor from close range – the Albion defender It was only his second goal of the season. .
Burnley had chances to equalize before the break, most notably when Ashley Barnes’ run down the left ended with the ball touching the post and wide.
Barnes would have done better then when he hammered a left-footed shot against the bar.
But Burnley were most disappointed by two strong but unanswered penalty shouts – and they then upped the ante in search of a deserved equalizer after the break.
With former Albion striker Jay Rodriguez coming off the bench to provide an extra physical and aerial threat, it seemed inevitable that an equalizer would come.
But Albion defended well – and it took until the 75th minute to equalize when Anas Zarori’s long ball down the inside right channel cleared the mound – and he fired a powerfully angled right-foot shot past Alex Palmer. Fired.
When these two sides met at The Hawthorns in September, Albion dominated, yet needed an injury-time equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw – but it was not to happen again.
And instead it was Burnley who came up with a late strike this time when Josh Cullen was brought down by Jed Wallace on the very edge of the box.
Twain, who was on the pitch for just four minutes, took over. And the £4m man from Milton Keynes Dons, yet to start a game for Burnley, curled a right-footed beauty over the wall into the top right-hand corner with Palmer unguarded.
