Burnley 3-0 Cardiff City: Clarets crowned champions with 101 points

Burnley had lost their final league game in each of the past six seasons before beating Cardiff, with the Bluebirds losing on the final day for the first time since 2014

Burnley rounded off their spectacular season in the Championship with a 3-0 win over Cardiff City that saw the hosts break the 100-point barrier.

First-half goals from Josh Brownhill and Ashley Barnes meant the Clarets had the game wrapped-up by half-time.

Scott Twine's precise free-kick added a third on Burnley's celebratory day.

Cardiff will be grateful for Reading receiving a six-point deduction over their finances, otherwise their awful season would have seen them relegated.

The Bluebirds ended a dismal campaign 21st in the Championship, the division's second-lowest scorers and having appointed three managers, with the future of current boss Sabri Lamouchi still unclear.

However, if this was a day of relief for Cardiff, it was one of raucous celebrations at Turf Moor.

This was a special occasion for the hosts, celebrating their Championship-winning season as they returned to the Premier League in style after just one season away, with the party mood ratcheted up a level by manager Vincent Kompany signing a new five-year contract.

There was also the incentive of creating some history as Burnley sought to be the first club to hit 100 points in the Championship since Leicester City in 2013-14 and the champions were greeted with a guard of honour by their Welsh visitors.

Burnley are now unbeaten in their past 16 home league games against Cardiff City who never looked likely to cause an upset and will be relieved beyond measure that their safety has been assured by Reading's travails.

Burnley's newest investors, former NFL star JJ Watt and his wife Kealia, an ex-USA football international, were in attendance and will have enjoyed what they saw as the hosts took control by half-time.

The opening goal was simplicity personified, as Andy Rinomhota stumbled and allowed Burnley space in the box to present Brownhill with a tap-in.

By then Barnes had fired over after racing clear, but he emphatically doubled the Clarets' lead as Burnley profited from another Cardiff mistake. Mahlon Romeo chested Brownhill's cross directly into Barnes path and he lashed the ball into the roof of the net.

The goal delighted Barnes who will leave the Clarets this summer after nine seasons at Turf Moor.

The hosts should have extended their lead when Twine raced clear and fired over, but he made amends with a precise free-kick on 57 minutes as Burnley coasted to the 100-point mark.

Cardiff did improve and Sory Kaba, Jaden Philogene and Mark McGuinness all missed chances to find a consolation goal, while Nathan Tella blazed wide and saw an effort saved as Burnley sought a fourth.

The hosts ended their campaign with 101 points, only three defeats in 46 games and a whopping 21 points clear of third-placed Luton Town as they look forward to Premier League football next season.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany:

"I still had three or four years left and it's not something I went chasing but there is a pragmatic reason for signing the new deal.

"For my pathway, this is the right decision and it helps when we try and recruit players.

"When I'm trying to convince a player to come here it's easier just after I have signed a new deal.

"We have had a massive advantage planning for next season, because we have known about promotion for a long time, but we were going to lose that if people were waiting for me to come out with a statement.

"The goal for me next year is to make our fans proud and have a bit of fun in the Premier League."

Cardiff manager Vincent Sabri Lamouchi:

"We saw the big gap between them and us, the gap is too big between the two teams.

"Everything is on the table [over Lamouchi's future] and we just need to know what the club and the owner [Vincent Tan] want to do.

"But we can be happy, we did our job before we came to Burnley, we wanted to stay up and it is job done.

"Our only mission was to stay in the Championship… so it is an amazing job by the players."