Connor Roberts celebrates scoring his first goal of the season for Burnley against MiddlesbroughGetty Images

Connor Roberts scored his first goal of the season for Burnley

Ben Ashton
BBC Sport

Burnley missed the chance to go top of the Championship after being held to an entertaining 1-1 draw by Middlesbrough at a blustery Turf Moor.

Anfernee Dijksteel gave Boro the lead with the first shot of the game after 13 minutes, dinking cleverly over Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford to find the net from 12 yards.

Connor Roberts hit an equaliser for Burnley eight minutes before the break when his looping effort from distance appeared to be helped by the windy conditions and caught keeper Seny Dieng off his line.

Both sides created opportunities in the second half but it ended all square, meaning Burnley remain second, a point behind leaders Sheffield United, while Boro stay in fifth place.

Burnley started the game the brighter of the two sides and enjoyed a sustained spell of possession without creating any clear openings.

But they fell behind when Dan Barlaser fed a neat ball through to Dijksteel who managed to lift his effort over the onrushing Trafford while falling over to give Boro the lead with his first goal of the season.

The Clarets responded well to going behind with Jeremy Sarmiento forcing Dieng into a good save at his near post and Jaidon Anthony firing a free-kick into the wall from the edge of the box.

Despite Burnley's pressure, the ever-lively Liverpool loanee Ben Doak came close to doubling the lead for Boro on the half-hour mark after wriggling through on the right-hand side and firing just wide of the far post.

The hosts eventually hit a deserved equaliser in the 37th minute when Roberts curled a left-footed effort over Dieng from 25 yards, with apparent assistance from the swirling wind brought by Storm Darragh.

It was Middlesbrough who came out looking more lively in the second period, however, creating several good chances within the first 12 minutes of the half.

An unmarked George Edmondson headed wide from the centre of the goal from six yards out before Tommy Conway and Delano Burgzorg both hit tame efforts straight at Trafford from inside the box.

Boro continued to dominate but could not make their pressure pay, with Emmanuel Latte Lath also excellently thwarted by Trafford as he tried to nudge it past the Burnley goalkeeper after racing through on goal.

Burnley improved in the closing stages as Anthony curled wide from distance, and Roberts failed to connect properly with a difficult close-range chance at the back post after a corner kick dropped to him at pace.

But despite their late rally, Scott Parker's team were made to settle for a point against a fellow promotion-chasing side, who will feel they were good value for the draw, having ended Burnley's run of four straight wins and five consecutive clean sheets.

The Clarets remain unbeaten at home but could drop out of the automatic promotion spots if third-placed Leeds United beat Derby County on Saturday.

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Former England youth team-mates Scott Parker and Michael Carrick faced off as head coaches

Post-match reaction

Burnley head coach Scott Parker said:

"I thought we were well worth three points tonight. The conditions definitely played a large factor in tonight's game for both teams really. You could see that in the flight of the ball and the winds and the rain. They were tough conditions.

"They scored a goal against the run of play and that was probably down to us a little bit. Certainly, it's something we need to look at in that we gifted that a little bit in terms of the way we positioned ourselves.

"As a coach you're always looking at certain moments and seeing the learning from it.

"This is the first time the team has conceded in a long time so it's what sort of reaction we got. I got a reaction from a group of men that was nothing short of superb."

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:

"It's a good point. If you go into the changing room, there's a tinge of disappointment, which is a good sign for me.

"The boys are a bit disappointed that we haven't won the game, albeit respectful and accepting the way the game was and how tight it was in some aspects.

"We're striving for more, we're hoping for more. Tonight we couldn't quite get it but we'll certainly take it and use it as a positive going into the games coming up."

On ending Burnley's run of five straight clean sheets: "They're very good defensively, Scotty [Parker] has got them really well organised, not giving a lot away at all through the whole season really.

"It shows some of our play at times was really good and I think we're a little bit disappointed that we haven't had another goal. But maybe they're similar. They had moments around our box as well."

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