Burnley 2-0 Bolton Wanderers

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Andre GrayImage source, PA
Image caption,

Andre Gray has scored four goals for Burnley since making his move from Brentford in August

Andre Gray scored both goals as Burnley beat Bolton Wanderers to send the Trotters to the bottom of the table.

Neil Danns and Liam Feeney threatened for Bolton before the break, while Gray and Scott Arfield fired wide before Sam Vokes's shot was cleared off the line at the other end.

Gray pounced to put Burnley ahead after Ben Amos made two fine reflex saves.

Gray lashed in a second before Tendayi Darikwa cleared a David Wheater header for Bolton off the line.

Victory lifts Burnley to fifth in the table, while the loss, coupled with Preston North End's draw at Cardiff City sees Neil Lennon's Trotters slip to bottom of the Championship standings on goal difference.

Image source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Neil Lennon's Bolton Wanderers side have picked up just six points from the last 48 available away from home

Bolton got off to a bright start at Turf Moor, Tom Heaton parrying an early effort from Danns over the bar.

Gray, whose pace stretched Bolton throughout, was first to threaten for the hosts as he beat defender Dorian Dervite to a long ball, only to send his 19th-minute shot wide of Ben Amos' post.

Jay Spearing, making his first start for Bolton for two months, was forced off injured after 36 minutes, before Heaton dealt with a double chance for the Trotters, first punching away a Feeney volley then holding onto a header from Dervite.

It sparked a flurry of late first-half activity, with Arfield involved in two good chances for Burnley, drilling wide before then linking up Vokes, whose shot was cleared by the backtracking Wheater.

Gray opened the scoring with a tap-in finish, netting after his initial shot was kept out by Amos and Arfield's follow-up fell kindly for the striker.

Burnley's record signing from Brentford added a second 12 minutes later, lashing home after meeting an Arfield pass, before being denied a hat-trick by Amos.

Wheater got on the end of a Feeney cross to produce Bolton's best chance of responding, but Darikwa turned the danger away leaving Bolton to trail Rotherham and Preston at the foot of the standings.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche:

"We're enjoying Andre and I think he's enjoying being here. People forget he's young, he's learning and he's adapting. There's still a lot he can pick up, but there's a rawness and a desire to score goals and that's a fantastic thing.

"We're realistic about the division, we know it's a tough division and as much as we enjoy winning, we've got to be realistic and know that there's another big game coming and that's on Tuesday.

"It's way too early to be talking about promotion. We've all seen the ups and downs of the league and how it changes. Our main focus is on the next game, it's simple as that."

Bolton Wanderers manager Neil Lennon:

Media caption,

Bolton manager Lennon on Burnley defeat

"I know we're bottom of the league and it's a huge challenge. I don't like being there because it's something I'm not used to, but I accept that.

"There's a lot of positives we can take from our performance today. Jose Manuel Casado was excellent and we created good chances and should've taken them and that would've changed the psychology of the game.

"I think there was maybe just that lack of composure and that lack of quality at times. I didn't think we looked like a team who were bottom of the league today and I didn't think there was a huge gap between the teams."

Image source, PA
Image caption,

Burnley's Andre Gray has scored three goals in his last two games

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