Kompany's Burnley win Championship title at rivals Blackburn

Mueez Ajao

– Promoted Burnley finally clinched the Championship title with a win over rivals Blackburn Rovers in the east Lancashire derby at Ewood Park.

– Manuel Benson’s superb second-half strike broke the deadlock for the Clarets in a feisty match that had a high tempo but saw both sides limited in clear-cut chances in front of goal.

– Blackburn created more opportunities, with five shots on target to one from Burnley, as Dom Hyam saw a strike from distance saved and Sammie Szmodics almost flicked the ball inside the near post in stoppage time.

Also Read: BREAKING: Kompany’s Burnley achieve promotion to Premier League

– The hosts also had strong penalty shouts waved away in the final few seconds when Callum Brittain’s cross appeared to hit Ashley Barnes’ arm.

– Defeat dents Rovers’ chances of reaching the play-offs and leaves them in eighth place, without a win in their past seven league games and outside the top six on goal difference.

– Their remaining two fixtures see them host third-placed Luton Town before a potentially pivotal meeting with seventh-placed Millwall on 8 May.

– Since securing promotion back to the Premier League on 7 April, Burnley’s charge towards the Championship title stuttered.

– They came into the game off the back of two draws and a shock 2-1 defeat by QPR in their last outing, which ended their undefeated record at Turf Moor.

– It had looked like nerves might be getting the better of Vincent Kompany’s side, who produced no shots on target during a cagey first 45 minutes where both teams struggled in the final third.

– Blackburn ended the first half in the ascendancy despite lacking a clinical edge, with Tyrhys Dolan sending a tame shot at Ari Muric and Hyam also seeing a volley from a corner comfortably saved.

– Szmodics had a chance to snatch the lead for Rovers shortly after the break, flicking the ball on from close range, but Muric was again able to deal with it.

– Kompany started to ring the changes just before the hour mark and it proved worthwhile, with Benson finding the net out of nothing eight minutes after coming on as a substitute to score his 10th league goal of the season.

– The Belgian bounded down the right as Burnley broke into Rovers’ half, shifting the ball on to his left foot and launching a shot from distance past Aynsley Pears into the far corner.

– Szmodics came close to an equaliser deep in stoppage time, sending the ball across the face of goal and almost beyond Muric, but a quick bit of Burnley defending turned the ball behind for a corner.

– In the fifth and final minute of stoppage time Barnes then seemed to stretch out his arm to block Brittain’s cross but referee Tim Robinson turned down Blackburn’s appeals.

– Tempers flared after the full-time whistle between some players and both benches, but things calmed down quickly so Burnley could celebrate in front of their 2,000 fans.