Burnley 1-1 Watford: Clarets denied record-breaking 11th straight Championship win
- Published
- comments
Michael Obafemi's fourth goal of the season preserved Burnley's unbeaten home record this season
Burnley's hopes of a record-breaking 11th straight Championship win were dashed as they were held to a draw by Watford at Turf Moor.
Joao Pedro pounced on a howler from goalkeeper Aro Muric to sweep in a first-half opener for the Hornets.
The Clarets hit the woodwork inside the first minute when Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann somehow diverted an Ashley Barnes shot onto the bar.
Watford looked set to end Burnley's season-long unbeaten home record until the sixth minute of stoppage time when Michael Obafemi scooped in from close range after a scramble.
Burnley fans had gathered at Turf Moor hoping to witness history, knowing an 11th straight league win would set a new Championship best and break a 110-year-old club record.
Yet the Hornets spoiled the party and stay sixth with a fourth draw in five matches, while the Championship leaders are now eight points clear of Sheffield United, having played a game more, and 18 better off than third-placed Middlesbrough.
Obafemi's last-gasp equaliser, pouncing after Lyle Foster had headed against the post in a stoppage-time scramble, at least allowed the Clarets to set a new club record of scoring in 28 successive league matches.
Vincent Kompany's side started with all the swagger and rhythm of a team that had not dropped a point since 5 November and swarmed all over the visitors.
In-form forward Nathan Tella, who had scored five goals in his last two games, was twice found in dangerous positions, but a poor first touch let him down, while Barnes shot wide from a near-post corner after his earlier brush with the crossbar.
The visitors gradually gained a foothold in an increasingly scrappy and niggly first half, but had failed to test the home goal until Muric had a rush of blood as he stepped out of his area to clear an innocuous long ball.
The former Manchester City keeper had time to spare, but instead of stepping back into the 18-yard box and gathering, his attempted clearance looped up off his knee, allowing Pedro to play a one-two with Ken Sema and convert from close range.
Muric was replaced by Bailey Peacock-Farrell at half-time and the hosts began the second period as they did the first, with plenty of pressure.
Bachmann produced a remarkable stop to preserve the lead after the hour, sticking out his right boot to keep out Tella's side-footed effort from two yards.
Chances again became harder to come by for the hosts, despite racking up almost 70% possession in a stop-start final half hour as tempers frayed.
The disciplined Hornets thought they had ground out a first league double over Burnley since 2002-03, but a last-gasp inswinging corner caused havoc in the previously sure-footed defence, and Obafemi transformed the mood.
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"In the end it was a good point, a good result. I'm also pleased with the performance - details can be better, in which case we probably would have had all three points, but we played against a very good side.
"If you told me before the season that this would be the type of game we would play against a side like Watford, I'd sign up for that all day.
"It's the way we conceded that can leave regrets, but I've been in the game too long to know that these moments happen in a season - you have to factor them in almost.
"Sometimes you get away with it, this time we didn't, but luckily for us I thought there was enough in the team's performance to get a well-deserved point and we could have had more, of course."
Watford boss Slaven Bilic told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"It feels like a defeat when you are so close to winning a game.
"I have told the guys to be disappointed, I am also disappointed big time, but that also shows what we can do if we come into every game with the same spirit, with the same organisation, with the same attitude, the same mentality.
"If we can add a bit of quality to that we can achieve a lot. There are 45 points to play for and this should be a norm for us, a standard for us to go into every game.
"We were so close to winning away against the leaders but we didn't manage the last six minutes. Keep the ball in the middle of the park, from side to side, manage the game - but we didn't."