Burnley 3-0 Preston North End: Nathan Tella grabs hat-trick as Clarets win 10th Championship game in a row
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Nathan Tella's hat-trick saw runaway Championship leaders Burnley crush Lancashire rivals Preston North End as they continued their seemingly relentless march towards promotion with a 10th consecutive league win.
Top scorer Tella headed in his 12th goal of the season to reward early home pressure and ensure Vincent Kompany's Clarets matched a club record of scoring in 27 league games in a row.
Tella's 13th goal of the season followed 10 minutes after the break, the midfielder showing quick feet on the edge of the box to make room and fire in his fourth goal in two games.
His fifth in three arrived just three minutes later, the on-loan Southampton man running onto a long ball forward to blast the ball home for the first treble of his career.
Victories for promotion rivals Sheffield United, over Swansea, and Middlesbrough - away against Cardiff City - meant the Clarets were unable to extend their advantage at the top of the table, but with their 17-point gap to Boro in third place maintained, a Premier League return looks a formality.
Burnley have been in irresistible form in building that lead, not only sweeping aside all-comers in the league but also progressing into the fifth round of the FA Cup. And their confidence told in the early stages as Tella netted at the near post from Josh Brownhill's inviting cross.
Only an excellent save from keeper Freddie Woodman stopped Ashley Barnes from making it 2-0 with a close-range header, as the hosts dominated possession and territory.
Barnes also headed over and an Anass Zaroury volley had to be kept out by Woodman.
A North End side without the attacking threat and nous of the suspended Ched Evans created very little in the first half, Alan Browne going closest with their only attempt - a scuffed left-footed strike from 20 yards that was well saved by keeper Arijanet Muric.
Preston had started the day just four points outside the play-off places but have been a model of inconsistency, with a dismal home record of just three wins all season in stark contrast to an envious run of eight away wins in 14 prior to the visit to Turf Moor.
However, they never looked capable of making it nine wins on the road against an increasingly comfortable home side.
Muric did have to be alert to clear a sloppy backpass, but Tella took advantage of some sloppy defending to make it 2-0 and the 23-year-old followed that up with the best goal of the game when he shifted the ball neatly on the edge of the box and shot home.
The lively Thomas Cannon offered Preston's best hope of getting back into the game, notably when he teed up Browne, who made a hash of a good headed opportunity.
However, Kompany's men were typically well-disciplined and barely troubled as they saw out their 10th win in a row, equalling a record set in 1913 and replicating Reading's record of losing just two of their first 30 Championship matches from their title-winning season of 2005-06.
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I'm happy for the team and the fans. The performance was good. The intent was good. It was exactly what it needed to be and I'm happy for the win.
"Sometimes you have a good game and sometimes you have a bad game, but today we added quality to the effort and the main thing is to always have the effort.
"We stayed calm. We are used to not putting the game to bed. A big part of how we play is wearing the team out. We have been successful because we can produce for 90 minutes if needed.
"Nathan [Tella] is a player that gives us so much in so many ways, but I always put forward the effort he brings to the team The effort gets us where we are.
"I don't even think about it [winning 10 games in a row]. It's not really important. I just want to win the next one and the next one and the one after and try to get better. It doesn't matter; we are never good enough so are always able to get better."
Preston boss Ryan Lowe:
"We lost the game, so it doesn't feel good. I don't like losing games of football, especially derbies, but Burnley were the better team and deserved the three points.
"I thought Burnley were fantastic in what they were doing. They are good goals on their behalf, but from us it could have been better. The goals were very disappointing.
"We defended solidly and resolutely at times, but we didn't go forward enough with the ball when there were opportunities."