Will Unwin was at Turf Moor tonight. His report has landed. The last word goes to Mary Fitzpatrick Howorth: “Checking the head for additional grey hairs but thrilled no medical devices were required in the watching of this match. A THRILLED CHICAGO CLARETS FAN!” Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s turn to speak to Sky, and he’s not happy with his players. “We had a very good chance at the beginning. The game could have gone in a different direction. They had the belief and strength [after the first goal] and we were not physically good enough in the first half. Not one duel won after the goal. When you are two down, the game has gone against this team. The first half, we were simply not aggressive enough, not sharp enough. After the first miss, we had the feeling that, if we don’t make this chance, we’ll make the next one. But it’s not like this. Second half we tried a bit, but when you don’t make the biggest chances, you don’t score the goals. They defended with all they had, and we didn’t have the quality.”
Mike Jackson speaks to Sky Sports. “It speaks for itself by watching it. I think they just remembered what they were. We’ve not done loads of stuff, anything different. We’ve just remembered who they are. They’ve come together as a group, they’re an experienced group. I’m really delighted, everyone’s mucked in, come together on it. It’s a great result, we’re really pleased. Don’t think too much about anything else, just enjoy it. I will speak to the chairman, who will let me know if I’m needed for the next game. I’m not thinking about that, it’s not right to comment about that, I’m just here to prepare the group. I’m working with a great bunch of staff, a great bunch of lads, and we just go onto the next game. Can we take what we’ve done tonight into that?”
Man-of-the-match Connor Roberts talks to Sky. “It’s ingrained in us, it’s what we do, we fight. We’re not necessarily the best team, but we fight to the end. We did that tonight. Bits of quality shown, and it’s a massive three points to be honest. I just want to play and enjoy my football, and I did that tonight. I’m fairly happy with my performance. If we do what we did tonight, who knows what might happen. I know all the lads will give everything to try to keep this club up, and hopefully we can do it. Mike Jackson hasn’t come in and changed everything, but he’s given us a little bit more freedom to do what we want. He says he’s not trying to coach us every day, he’s letting us do our thing, we’re good players, we wouldn’t be here if we weren’t half decent. He’s letting us enjoy our football.”
Nathan Collins, who had to wait a while for VAR to confirm his goal, adds: “That wasn’t nice! I’d celebrated, and I didn’t want to make a fool of myself! I’m happy we scored and it’s a good win for us. You can see everyone’s enjoying their football, we’re creating chances, and that’s all we can do at this stage of the season. We’re not really looking at Everton, we’re just concentrating on ourselves. We have another game to go on Sunday, so hopefully we can put in another performance.”
Southampton were the better side for the first ten minutes. After that, Burnley were magnificent, and thoroughly deserved their victory. The scoreline flatters Saints. Burnley showed all the spirit and tenacity required for a relegation scrap, plus some genuine quality and progressive play. The caretaker boss Mike Jackson allows a huge smile to spread across his face, as Turf Moor rises as one to applaud their team, who have to a man given their all. The three points are so precious, sure, but it’s the manner of tonight’s performance that may give Burnley real hope of beating the drop. Wolves come here on Sunday, and if Burnley get so much as a point, they’ll climb out of the relegation places at Everton’s expense.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Leeds | 32 | -30 | 33 |
| 17 | Everton | 31 | -19 | 29 |
| 18 | Burnley | 32 | -17 | 28 |
| 19 | Watford | 32 | -32 | 22 |
| 20 | Norwich | 32 | -44 | 21 |
FULL TIME: Burnley 2-0 Southampton
Three precious points for Burnley! Mary Fitzpatrick Howorth can stop hitting refresh now.
Updated
90 min +5: Connor Roberts is named man of the match by Sky co-commentator Don Goodman. Roberts has been one of several Burnley heroes. They’ve been superb tonight.
90 min +4: Vydra runs a country mile to snatch the ball off Livramento. Such effort, so deep into injury time, with the game as good as won. The crowd appreciated that, even though all his work was for nought.
90 min +2: Burnley’s fans serenade their old manager Sean Dyche, who worked wonders at Turf Moor for the best part of a decade. Mike Jackson isn’t doing too badly, either.
Updated
90 min: Valery romps down the right and wins a corner, which Pope claims. There will be five added minutes. Not the news Mary Fitzpatrick Howorth wanted to hear: “As a Burnley fan in Chicago (long story) the number of times the screen has been refreshed in the past three minutes is only equal to the number of points my blood pressure has increased. #atworkduringcrucialmatchproblems”
88 min: McNeil, who has been excellent this evening, makes way for Lowton.
87 min: VAR shows no interest in overturning the referee’s decision. Ward-Prowse’s arm was certainly in an unnatural position, well away from his torso, but proximity probably saved him. You can’t argue too much with the decision.
86 min: Lennon wins a corner down the right. From the set piece, Tarkowski has a dig. Blocked. Burnley claim loudly for a penalty, the ball hitting Ward-Prowse on his dangling right arm. The referee isn’t interested. McNeil rasps a shot over the bar ... and then VAR has another look at the penalty shout.
Updated
85 min: The Burnley fans entertain themselves with a few olés, as their defenders stroke it around the back. If nothing else, it shows they’re not the superstitious type, concerned in any way about tempting fate.
83 min: Walker-Peters is replaced by Livramento.
81 min: Broja bursts down the right and whistles a low shot-cum-cross into the Burnley six-yard box. Pope claims with safe hands.
80 min: From the resulting free kick, Rodriguez is sent clear into the box on the right. He’s got Collins and Vydra waiting to tap in from close range. Somehow his cross flies between the pair and away from danger.
79 min: Perraud is booked for a rugby-style challenge on McNeil.
78 min: Vydra comes on for the willing but limited Weghorst.
77 min: There’s an edge to this match now. Burnley, so close to three precious points, are beginning to feel the strain. Saints meanwhile feel aggrieved by a couple of minor decisions that haven’t gone their way. All of which registers a healthy seven out of ten on our patented Potential Tinder Box-o-meter.
75 min: Perraud clanks into Roberts out on the Burnley right. A chance for the home heroes to load the box. Brownhill takes, and the ball is currently sailing a couple of miles east of Preston.
73 min: ... but the referee tells them both to stop playing silly buggers, and shows them the yellow card. All calm down.
72 min: From the resulting corner, Adams is found clear on the penalty spot! He has to score, but hesitates and Taylor heroically lunges to block. That intervention is celebrated like a goal, and it’s worth one. What a tackle! The next corner leads to a different sort of brouhaha, as Taylor goes down having taken a whack upside the head. Bednarek thinks Burnley are pulling a fast one, and enters into a debate with Tarkowski. For a second, it looks like kicking off ...
Updated
71 min: Ward-Prowse whips the free kick towards the top right. It’s not his best, nowhere near the corner. Pope tips over.
70 min: Rodriguez wrestles Romeu to the ground, 25 yards out, just to the right of centre. James Ward-Prowse Country, in other words.
69 min: Tarkowski nearly buries a near-post flick at the far post. He can’t make contact as the ball flashes wide. Chances are he’d have been flagged offside anyway.
68 min: Burnley respond by countering through McNeil and Lennon, who combine to earn a corner down the left. Brownhill to take.
67 min: Redmond sends an inswinger from the left. Adams springs the Burnley trap and sidefoots a volley towards the top left. Pope responds well with a strong arm. Nothing comes of the resulting corner. As near as Southampton have come!
66 min: Both teams make a change. Lennon comes on for Cornet, while Adams and Redmond replace Armstrong and Elyounoussi.
NO GOAL! Burnley 2-0 Southampton
65 min: Turns out there was an offside somewhere in the move. Millimetres in it. Tarkowski’s heel, maybe. Who knows these days.
Updated
GOAL! Burnley 3-0 Southampton (Cork 63)
Burnley look to have messed things up by playing the corner short. But they stay patient and work it back up the flank. McNeil swings it long. Tarkowski rises at the far post. He heads across the face of goal. Forster flaps. The ball clanks off Tarkowski and then Cork, who bundles into the bottom right.
Updated
62 min: Rodriguez intercepts a loose Saints pass and springs Cornet into acres down the left. Cornet zips up the field and wins Burnley’s seventh corner of the evening. Weghorst challenges for it at the far stick, leading to number eight. And from that ...
60 min: Romeu catches Roberts in the windpipe, accidentally it would seem, and the pressure that comes with defending a corner is released.
59 min: Perraud digs out a cross from a tight position on the left. It deflects off Cork and very nearly loops over Pope from a tight angle - think Paul Konchesky for West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final - but the keeper tips over the bar.
57 min: ... so having said that, Walker-Peters wins a corner down the right. Pope claims the set piece, and launches long for Cornet, who momentarily looks like getting the better of Perrau. The Saints defender holds firm, though.
56 min: On the touchline, Ralph Hasenhuttl is a picture of discontentment. No wonder, his team are struggling to string anything together.
Updated
54 min: Rodriguez puts Lyanco under all sorts of pressure down the Burnley right, forcing the Saints man into the concession of a corner. Saints deal with it easily enough, but Burnley don’t look in the mood to let up. Where has this Burnley been all season?
52 min: The Turf Moor faithful continue to give it plenty. They’ve been four square behind their men tonight.
Updated
50 min: Cornet drifts in from the left and takes one touch too many in the Saints box. His eventual shot is blocked, but if nothing else, that’ll further burnish that aforementioned stat.
49 min: Sky Sports flash up a stat that doesn’t do Sean Dyche’s reputation much good. Before today, Burnley would on average take 8.6 touches in the opposition box per match. During that opening 45, they took 20.
Updated
47 min: Had that gone in, VAR may have had something to say about it, Cork standing in front of Forster and refusing to budge. That’s not to say Cork was doing much wrong, but you know how keepers are protected in these situations.
45 min 44 seconds: Roberts skedaddles down the right and crosses deep. Corner. It’s swung in with purpose. Tarkowski rises highest and plants a header over the bar from six yards. What a chance!
Burnley get the second half underway. Neither team has made a half-time change. “What do Burnley’s second goal and a fine glass of wine have in common? Neither were discarded for being Cork-ed!” Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the butter pie (pairs well with a robust red).
HALF TIME: Burnley 2-0 Southampton
The whistle goes. That half could have ended 5-0, 2-3, or anything in between. Yet on balance, Burnley throughly deserve this lead. After a rocky opening ten minutes, they’ve been superb. They run in with the cheers of their fans ringing loudly in their ears. As things stand, the gap on Everton will close to one point.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Leeds | 32 | -30 | 33 |
| 17 | Everton | 31 | -19 | 29 |
| 18 | Burnley | 32 | -17 | 28 |
| 19 | Watford | 32 | -32 | 22 |
| 20 | Norwich | 32 | -44 | 21 |
45 min +1: Nope, it’s fine. There was no clear and obvious footage to prove Cork’s inadvertent involvement one way or another. The goal stands!
45 min: VAR is checking, though. Did the ball brush Cork’s shorts en route to goal? Cork was offside, so it’ll be disallowed if so, preposterous as it sounds.
GOAL! Burnley 2-0 Southampton (Collins 44)
Weghorst, Taylor and Cornet work well down the left, the latter earning a corner off Valery. It’s swung in. Collins rises miles above Armstrong and plants a header into the bottom right. Easy as that!
Updated
42 min: A little bit of space for Elyounoussi out on the right. There are options in the box, but the cross is no good. Pope hasn’t had a serious save to make yet.
40 min: A scheduled break so players observing ramadan can take on refreshments. An opportunity for both managers to issue some tactical instruction, too.
38 min: Cork ships possession and goes haring after Armstrong in an attempt to salvage the situation. He lightly clips his man, who tries to keep going but eventually succumbs to gravity. The tackle was mistimed rather than malicious, but Cork goes into the book anyway.
36 min: Roberts and Brownhill combine crisply down the right. The ball’s cut back for McNeil, who drives hard towards the bottom right. Forster does extremely well to get down, stick out a strong arm, and turn the goalbound drive around the post. Nothing comes of the corner.
35 min: Brownhill tries to release Weghorst into the box with a wedge down the inside right. Goal kick. He should have slipped either Taylor or Cornet in down the left.
34 min: Cornet and Weghorst combine well down the left only to run out of pitch. Burnley are certainly trying their best to play some free-flowing stuff.
32 min: ... Romeu misses another sitter! Romeu wins an uncontested header six yards out. He’s got to score, but instead sends his header well wide left. The chances being passed up this evening! This game is absurd. A lot of fun, but absurd.
Updated
31 min: Broja takes a whack. The ball balloons off Collins and out for a corner on the left. That leads to a corner on the right. And from that ...
29 min: A long blooter down the middle. Lyanco misjudges it, allowing the ball to bounce over his confused neep and towards Cornet, who weirdly elects not to shoot first time and lays off to the nearby Rodriguez instead. A bobbled effort twangs out for a corner ... but then the flag goes up belatedly for offside. Burnley’s strikeforce are utterly bereft of confidence.
27 min: Rodriguez is fortunate not to be booked for a cheeky tug on Armstrong. This game is otherwise being played in a fine sporting spirit, to be fair.
Updated
25 min: ... Burnley pass up another golden chance! Rodriguez’s close-range header is parried brilliantly by Forster, reacting with a strong arm. The ball balloons to Weghorst, who must score, a couple of yards out. But he directs his header off the junction of crossbar and right-hand post, and Saints hack clear!
Updated
24 min: Saints were flying up until the goal. Now they can barely string two passes together. Taylor bustles down the left and wins a Burnley corner. From which ...
22 min: Brownhill finds Weghorst on the edge of the Saints D with a cute pass from the right. Weghorst betrays his lack of confidence by attempting a lay-off to Rodriguez instead of the shot he should be taking. The ball clanks apologetically through to Forster.
21 min: McNeil drops a shoulder to get past Lyanco down the right. He’d be clear on goal had Perraud not read the danger. He gets in between McNeil and the ball. Corner. Nothing comes of the resulting set piece.
Updated
19 min: Saints calm things down a little with some sterile possession in midfield. “I will echo Mr Burtz’s fears of Everton relegation,” writes fellow Evertonian Mary Waltz. “I have heard the cliches about the Championship being the most competitive league to follow but I would prefer not to find out.”
17 min: Burnley are playing some great stuff now. McNeil curls deep from the right. Weghorst wins a header at the far stick and tees up Rodriguez, who should score but slams his shot straight at Forster. A good save the keeper should never have been allowed to make. Will Burnley live to regret these missed chances, just as they paid for Cornet’s penalty miss when a goal up at West Ham?
16 min: Roberts picks the ball up 40 yards from goal. The crowd amuse themselves with a holler of SHOOT!
14 min: That was a gorgeous finish, and Turf Moor reacts accordingly. As for the team, the wind’s suddenly in their sail. Rodriguez finds a bit of space down the middle and slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Weghorst, who strides into the box. He should shoot the minute he gets there, but checks instead, and the hesitation allows Forster to block. Burnley should be two up.
GOAL! Burnley 1-0 Southampton (Roberts 12)
Saints have been all over Burnley, but now look! McNeil swans in from the right and aims a curler towards the top left. Blocked. Saints learn nothing. The ball’s recycled down the right, McNeil slipping a pass infield. Roberts shapes like McNeil did seconds before, but this time gets the shot off to perfection! Into the top left it flies, always heading in from the moment it leaves his boot. Forster had no chance!
Updated
10 min: More lax defending nearly lets Broja in again down the right. The flag goes up for offside. Burnley need to clear their heads, and fast. Saints have started very impressively.
8 min: Taylor plays a blind backpass down the Saints right, allowing Broja to tear off down the flank. He cuts inside. The ball pings to Armstrong, just inside the box. Roberts gets a block in. That could have been costly for Burnley, too. The crowd give their nervous team the bird, then a roar of encouragement.
7 min: Walker-Peters ambles in from the right, unchallenged until he reaches the edge of the box. He shoots. Deflected. Over. And from the corner, Romeu should give Saints the lead. He wins a header ten yards out - this is uncontested, too - and aims for the top right. Inches wide.
Updated
5 min: Cornet rattles into Walker-Peters on the right, giving Ward-Prowse his first opportunity of the evening to wave his set-piece wand. He swings one in. Tarkowski heads clear, and McNeil should launch a counter, but blooters upfield to nobody in particular. He has the good grace to grimace.
4 min: There’s a rare old atmosphere at Turf Moor. The home fans are giving it some repetitive motorik rhythm. Very catchy.
2 min: Forster takes his sweet time over a clearance and is nearly Sadio Mané-d by Rodriguez. The keeper evades the block tackle just in time.
38 seconds: Forster races out of his area to blooter clear, only just getting there in time ahead of Rodriguez. A fast start to this game all right.
19 seconds: Walker-Peters makes his way down the right and hits a cross-cum-shot that only just clears the crossbar. Pope had it covered.
Saints get the ball rolling ... but only after a knee is taken. Warm applause greets the gesture. There’s no room for racism. “As an Everton supporter, I’m well aware that their fate is in their own hands, what with a four-point cushion and all,” begins Matt Burtz. “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want Southampton to win this game handily. I wish no ill will on Burnley, but I also don’t fancy trips to Wigan and Rotherham next season.”
The teams are out! Burnley are in their famous old claret, forcing Saints into second-choice yellow and blue. A warm welcome for both teams. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes, which you can while away by reminding yourself what happened earlier in the season when the teams met at St Mary’s.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl talks to Sky. “It is very tight in the middle of the table and with a few wins you can achieve a lot. This is our goal for the last games. There are four teams around us, and this is a very important game.”
Burnley caretaker Mike Jackson speaks to Sky. “We spoke about this being an opportunity. You can’t see them as burdens. They’re a challenge. These guys face challenges all the time, they’ve done it all their careers, it’s just the next one. It was really good [at West Ham]. Before the game, the atmosphere and togetherness, plus the good signs we saw in the game, was really positive. Questions have been asked of that group, but you don’t lose character. They’ve got that in spades, and we’ll look for that tonight, the same again.”
There’s been plenty of Dyche-related chat this week, for obvious reasons. So while the subject of Burnley managers is a hot topic [MBM writer inserts large jemmy into page, working away furiously with brazen intent] why not enjoy this old Joy of Six, which features John Haworth and Harry Potts, the only two men to bring the league title to Turf Moor? There’s still half an hour until kick-off, is all.
Burnley make two changes to the starting XI named for the 1-1 draw with West Ham United last Sunday. Connor Roberts and Josh Brownhill take the places of Matt Lowton, who drops to the bench, and the stricken Ashley Westwood.
Southampton beat Arsenal 1-0 on Saturday and so name an unchanged side. While Burnley have their relegation worries, Saints can leap from 13th to ninth, past Brentford, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City, with a victory tonight.
❤️ A message from Ashley Westwood 💪 #UTC pic.twitter.com/nF7Re9d1lL
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) April 21, 2022
The teams
Burnley: Pope, Roberts, Collins, Tarkowski, Taylor, McNeil, Brownhill, Cork, Cornet, Rodriguez, Weghorst.
Subs: Lowton, Barnes, Hennessey, Stephens, Lennon, Bardsley, Vydra, Long, Costelloe.
Southampton: Forster, Valery, Lyanco, Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Perraud, Stuart Armstrong, Elyounoussi, Broja.
Subs: Long, Adam Armstrong, Adams, Redmond, Caballero, Livramento, Salisu, Tella, Diallo.
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).
Updated
Preamble
At around 9.30pm last night, things were looking up for 18th-placed Burnley. Leicester City were closing in on victory at 17th-placed Everton, a result which would have given the Clarets the opportunity to spring out of the dropzone this evening with a win over Southampton. Richarlison’s injury-time equaliser at Goodison put paid to that dream, instead increasing the gap between the two relegation-haunted clubs to four points. Burnley really need to respond tonight, with games fast running out. A win and three precious points would wipe out most of that deficit.
Only problem is, they’ve only won four games all season. They’ll also be feel a bit strange at the minute, given tonight will be the first time in nearly ten years that Sean Dyche won’t be growling in the dugout. On the flipside, one of those wins was their previous home game, against Everton, while tonight’s visitors Southampton have won just three out of 15 games on the road this season. So it’s hardly beyond the realms ... and what reward awaits! Should Burnley win this, then get something from the visit of Wolves on Sunday, they’d edge above Everton at last, and the Toffees have to go to Anfield later in the day. There’s a routemap to safety, then ... but the margins for error are slight. Kick off is at 7.45pm BST. It’s on!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Leeds | 32 | -30 | 33 |
| 17 | Everton | 31 | -19 | 29 |
| 18 | Burnley | 31 | -19 | 25 |
| 19 | Watford | 32 | -32 | 22 |
| 20 | Norwich | 32 | -44 | 21 |
