Burnley beat Saints to boost survival hopes

Burnley produced one of their finest performances of the season to beat Southampton at Turf Moor and give their hopes of Premier League survival a huge boost.

Connor Roberts scored a timely first goal for the club when he curled a delightful opener into the far corner and Nathan Collins headed in to double their lead before half-time.

With interim boss Mike Jackson in the dugout, the hosts delivered an impressive attacking display but also showed the grit associated with their decadence under Dyche to keep any Saints revival at bay.

It is a victory that sets up a tantalizing relegation scrap heading into the run-in, as Burnley look to earn a seventh successive season in the top flight at the expense of the Toffees, or potentially even Leeds United.

Clarets gamble starts promisingly

Burnley’s hierarchy have taken a gamble in dismissing Dyche, a manager who guided them to two promotions and has experience of surviving in the top flight, but if the Clarets can reproduce this level of performance for the remainder of the season it may well be one that pay off

They have played a game more than Everton, but are now just a point behind Frank Lampard’s side and boast a better goal difference, while Leeds – currently five points above the drop zone – are also not completely safe.

If Burnley can now earn at least a point against Wolves at home on Sunday, Everton will head into the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Anfield later that afternoon sitting inside the bottom three.

There were no signs of tension in the Clarets camp as Roberts broke the deadlock after being given time to turn on the edge of the box and pick his spot with his left foot – a goal befitting Burnley’s slick attacking performance.

The hosts could and should have had more, but found Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster in top form as he denied Wout Weghorst with his feet and twice kept out Jay Rodriguez before Weghorst headed against the post.

Eventually Burnley’s superiority told as Collins climbed highest in the box to meet Josh Brownhill’s corner and nod it into the bottom corner, although celebrations were put on hold at an anxious Turf Moor as VAR watched to see if the ball had clipped the offside Jack Cork on its way in.

Southampton, after beating Arsenal last time out, slipped back into their indifferent recent form with the visitors’ best chances falling to Oriol Romeu, who headed wide of either post from James Ward-Prowse corners in the first half.

They did briefly threaten a response inside the final 20 minutes but Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope saved from Che Adams and Matt Taylor then made a superb block on the same player, while a scrambled Cork effort at the other end was ruled out for offside.

The home fans showed their appreciation for the club’s former boss by singing Dyche’s name late on, as Burnley headed towards their first top-flight home win without him in the dugout since May 2010, and four points from a possible six since his departure.

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