Crystal Palace 0-2 Burnley
- Published
Ashley Barnes (centre) has scored six Premier League goals for Burnley this season
Burnley moved a step closer to Premier League safety as they won an away game for the first time this season with victory at Crystal Palace.
Ashley Barnes and Andre Gray scored the goals to leave Palace seven points above the bottom three, with four games remaining.
Despite the home side dominating the early stages, Barnes opened the scoring as he slid Stephen Ward's low cross through Wayne Hennessey's legs.
Barnes had a second effort disallowed after he handled Michael Keane's header as he turned to scuff the ball home.
Palace improved in the second half, dominating possession in the final 15 minutes, and were aggrieved when Wilfried Zaha was denied a penalty when he was brought down by Jon Flanagan.
But Burnley's resilience paid off as substitute Gray drilled home a low shot as the Clarets won for the 11th time in the league this season.
Victory took Sean Dyche's men 14th, eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Burnley get elusive away win...
Burnley's first away win outstanding - Dyche
Speaking before the match, Dyche said he would not mind if his side did not win away from home all season, as long as they retained their Premier League status.
The Clarets arrived at Selhurst Park with the worst away record in the Premier League, having taken just four points from 17 matches and conceded 33 goals.
Despite that record - and the changes enforced by Joey Barton's 18-month suspension for betting, and a shin injury to Ben Mee - Burnley took an advantage of an unusually loose home defence in an entertaining first half.
And when the Eagles lost their shape, Barnes was the quickest to react as he slid home Ward's low cross.
There were moments that would have worried Dyche - particularly the space Palace were able to exploit as the game progressed - but he and the travelling fans celebrated as Gray ran onto George Boyd's pass and tapped a low strike beyond Hennessey in the final minutes of the game.
...but Palace struggling at home
Two silly balls cost Palace - Allardyce
While Burnley have struggled on the road, Palace's recent problems have been at home - they have scored only seven goals in their past eight games at Selhurst Park.
A win here would have all but secured survival, and the thought may not have been far from the minds of players and fans.
Seeming uncharacteristically scrappy in defence, Palace settled in the second half and Damien Delaney's half-volley looked to have secured an equaliser, only for Tom Heaton to deny him with a superb diving save.
The final 15 minutes were controlled by Palace, but they were not composed enough in front of goal - Zaha having a side-footed effort blocked by a Burnley head, before Patrick van Aanholt curled over the bar.
It was an underwhelming performance, and plenty of their fans headed for the exit before the final whistle.
And the club may also face action after Burnley's James Tarkowski was struck on the head by what appeared to be a lighter thrown from the stands as he and the team celebrates Barnes' opening strike.
Analysis - 'Dyche is a manager of the season contender'
Match of the Day pundit and former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer:
What a big win for Burnley that was. They have been magnificent this year. If Conte doesn't get that manager of the year award, he probably will because Chelsea are going to win the league, but if he doesn't then Sean Dyche and Eddie Howe shouldn't be far away. When you consider the jobs they are doing with the budget and the size of the clubs, it's a superb job they're doing.
Man of the match - Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
Alert and quick, Ashley Barnes' early strike wrong-footed Palace and put the Clarets on course to victory
Palace boss possession - the stats you need to know
Burnley are the last Premier League side to secure an away win this season, at the 18th time of asking.
After a run of three consecutive home league wins, Palace have failed to win any of their past three at Selhurst Park, with a draw followed by consecutive defeats.
The Clarets registered their first top-flight win in London since January 1975 (1-0 v QPR).
Palace had 63.6% possession, their second-highest in a top-flight game this season (after 65.7% v Sunderland in February, a game they lost 4-0).
The Eagles' four best possession figures this season in the Premier League have all ended in defeat (also 1-0 v West Brom in August and 3-2 v Burnley in November).
Barnes has scored six Premier League goals this season in his 25 appearances, one more than in the Clarets' last top-flight season (five), when he played 35 games.
Stephen Ward registered his first Premier League assist for Burnley, and his first in the competition since May 2012 for Wolves v Wigan.
Gray netted his first goal in his past eight Premier League games, after scoring seven in the 10 before that.
'Our destiny is still in our hands'
Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce: "We got nervous. We started very well, but then fell foul to our inefficiencies, not clearing the box and that goal got the nerves jangling.
"We sorted that at half-time and hoped our constant pressure would get us back into the game. We made a good recovery but could not find a way through a side who defended well and took their chances.
"We have worked very hard to keep our destiny in our own hands. Burnley have had a full week to prepare and I think that showed today."
"We have got Manchester City next up, then Hull who are in and around us in the table. We have to get it right."
Burnley manager Sean Dyche: "We have had our fair share of critics on the road in the Premier League and I understand why, but we showed our hunger today.
"We won the one v one battles, which we knew we would have to do against a team who are on a roll. I thought Sam Vokes and Ashley Barnes were magnificent, holding the ball up and putting a real shift in.
"We will keep going. That is my mentality, just keep going until the end of the season and then see where we are."
What's next?
Crystal Palace travel to Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on Saturday, 6 May (12:30 BST) while Burnley host West Brom on the same day (15:00 BST).