03/05 - 19:30
03/05 - 19:45
03/05 - 20:00
03/05 - 19:45
03/05 - 20:00
03/05 - 20:00
Burnley kept their slim hopes of survival alive after picking up their first win of 2024 against ten-men Brentford.
The crucial moment of the game came within the first ten minutes when Sergio Reguilón conceded a penalty and received a straight red card for his foul on Vitinho. The on-loan Tottenham Hotspur defender bundled into the back of the Brazilian just yards in front of goal and received his marching orders from referee Darren Bond after a VAR check.
Bruun Larsen had to put his penalty in the very corner to make sure it found the net with Mark Flekken getting close but not close enough to the effort.
After being gifted the perfect start to the game, the Clarets very nearly shot themselves in the foot. Darren O'Shea was close to a nightmare own goal when he blindly passed back to his own empty net. Luckily for him and Burnley, Arijanet Muric was able to get back just in the nick of time with Ivan Toney unable to find the target when he picked up on the clearance.
Datro Fofana had two great chances to double the home team's lead just before the break. The first was when he stealthily robbed the ball from Flekken but slipped at the crucial moment allowing the Bees' goalkeeper to spare his blushes.
The second chance was more embarrassing for Fofana when he managed to miss from a yard in front of goal shortly afterwards.
That glaring miss was atoned for in the second half when Fofana eventually made it 2-0. The goal began with some good Burnley defending and then just seconds later Wilson Odobert was feeding in Fofana who chipped the ball over Flekken and into the net.
Brentford's form has been woeful in recent weeks and Thomas Frank decided to go all out for the remainder of the game despite being down to ten men.
The visitors did pull one goal back when Kristoffer Ajer's header bounced off the left-hand post and rolled into the net.
The Bees almost managed what would have been a remarkable comeback late in stoppage time when they had the ball in the back of the net only for Toney to have been penalised for a foul on Muric.
This result puts Burnley on 17 points for the season, eight off 17th-placed Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, Brentford are now just four points ahead of the drop zone.
2-1 | ||
Bruun Larsen 10' (pen.) Datro Fofana 62' | Kristoffer Ajer 83' |
