Burnley 3-2 Crystal Palace

Ashley Barnes celebratesImage source, Google
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This was only Ashley Barnes' second appearance of the season after recovering from a long-term knee injury

Ashley Barnes hit a stunning last-minute winner as Burnley climbed into the top half of the Premier League with a pulsating victory over Crystal Palace at Turf Moor.

The hosts went in front inside 90 seconds through Sam Vokes and doubled their lead when Johann Berg Gudmundsson drilled home, although goalkeeper Steve Mandanda should have done better.

Palace pulled one back when Connor Wickham scored with his first touch after coming off the bench, and levelled on 81 minutes when Matt Lowton blocked Andros Townsend's cross with his hand and Christian Benteke stroked in the penalty.

Palace looked the more likely to win in what time remained but there was a stunning twist in the tail as substitute Barnes - just back from a long-term injury - lashed home in the fourth minute of injury time.

Remarkably there was still time for Palace to hit the post through Townsend but Burnley held on for a famous victory.

Burnley's patient tactics pay off

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Burnley 3-2 Crystal Palace: Clarets' targets for season unchanged

Palace have now lost four straight league matches but they will be feeling the pain of this one more than most after dominating for large spells.

Yet that was as much about Burnley's approach to the match - allowing Palace 62% possession - as it was the Eagles' potency in attack.

Having sacrificed striker Andre Gray from their starting line-up in favour of a five-man midfield incorporating the returning Steven Defour, Burnley set their stall out early by inviting Palace to attack and then hitting them on the break.

Their first goal came from a swift attack after a Palace corner, Jeff Hendrick, Lowton and Berg Gudmundsson combining well to create an opening that Vokes - practically on the goal line - bundled home after Lowton's initial shot was saved.

Goalkeeper Tom Heaton - so impressive in the draw at Manchester United a week ago - was key to Burnley's second, making a crucial save to deny Wilfried Zaha before the Clarets broke again.

Burnley charged upfield and Vokes was again at the heart of the action, his smart reverse pass sending though Berg Gudmundsson whose 20-yard shot bounced over the line via the wrist of Mandanda.

And with the seconds ticking down Burnley did it once more. Palace - with Zaha to the fore - piled on the pressure in injury time but again the hosts broke with pace and purpose, Barnes releasing Berg Gudmundsson and then scampering into the box to apply a powerful finish to the return pass.

A harsh defeat for Pardew's Eagles

Image source, Opta
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Wilfried Zaha's touch map shows how much of a threat he was to Burnley's defence. His 69 touches came down both flanks, through the middle and in the area. He covered 10.42km, completed 72 sprints - more than any other player - and had the fastest top speed of anyone, peaking at 34.02kmh.

After such a thrilling contest it was a shame there had to be a loser.

Palace contributed hugely throughout, with winger Zaha impressing with purposeful runs down both flanks in front of the watching interim England manager Gareth Southgate.

Time and again Zaha terrorised Burnley full-backs Lowton and Jon Flanagan, and it was his trickery down the right that allowed substitute Wickham to put Palace back in the match.

They fully deserved their equaliser when it came from Benteke's spot-kick, at which point they looked set to emulate the heroics on their last league visit to Turf Moor in January 2015, when they came from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

But it was not to be. Barnes' late goal saw to that, before Townsend's shot in the fifth minute of injury time cannoned off the post to cruelly set the seal on Palace's fate.

Man of the match - Johann Berg Gudmundsson

Image source, PA
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Johann Berg Gudmundsson's key involvement in Barnes' winner - sprinting the length of the pitch in the 94th minute to provide the assist - gets him the nod ahead of a host of other candidates. The Iceland international also scored the Clarets' second goal and had a hand in the opener.

The stats you need to know

  • Burnley have won back-to-back Premier League home games for the first time since October 2009

  • Crystal Palace have gone 16 Premier League games without a clean sheet, the longest run without a shut-out of any current top-flight side

  • Sam Vokes has scored and assisted in the same league game for the first time since January 2008 for Bournemouth v Port Vale

  • Vokes has netted two of the three fastest Premier League goals this season (78 secs v Crystal Palace, 97 secs v Liverpool), with Pedro netting the quickest (30 secs for Chelsea v Man Utd)

  • Ashley Barnes scored his first goal in his last 23 league appearances, since netting v West Brom in February 2015

Manager reaction

Burnley boss Sean Dyche: "I think we deserved the points by the final whistle. It was a real ding-dong of a game. Both teams went at it and I've been really pleased with the mentality of the group to finish in such a good way.

"I thought we played with confidence, although at 2-0 we were a little bit nervy, and I was happy with the fantastic finish from Ashley Barnes.

"It's fantastic to be ninth in the table for a club like Burnley. There are questions asked of us in the Premier League but we're enjoying the ride."

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew: "We've made errors for the goals but played well and it frustrates me to say that. It's daft mistakes which have cost us. I think we got carried away at 2-2 and over committed at a set play and it cost us.

"This defeat is a big blow for us because we have some tough games coming up. We're going to have to be strong after the international break and get some results. We dominated and actually played some good football today.

"We don't look like a team that has lost four games, it's been fine margins. We need to cut out these mistakes, and get ourselves to a position where we can see out a game."

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Burnley 3-2 Crystal Palace: Pardew curses 'daft' mistakes

What next?

Following the international break, Palace are at home to Man City at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, 19 November, while Burnley return to action at West Brom on Monday, 21 November (20:00 GMT).

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