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Post by Football News on Jan 31, 2017 21:51:46 GMT
Burnley 1-0 LeicesterHome team scorersSam Vokes 87 Leicester City’s wait for a first away win of the season goes on, and as if conceding the only goal of the game three minutes from the end was not bad enough the visitors were annoyed by the manner of Sam Vokes’ winner, after the Burnley substitute appeared to control the ball with his hand before smashing it into the roof of the net. The Premier League’s defending champions could have few other complaints, they are simply not producing enough going forward to hurt opponents as they did last season and Burnley were rarely in danger of being caught on the counter. Hanging on for a goalless draw is always dangerous, especially as Burnley had created more than enough chances to win, though Leicester must have thought they had done enough after Andre Gray and Vokes both missed decent chances in the closing minutes. The Clarets are now eight points ahead of Leicester in the table, which is surely a safe enough place to be, and in addition to a controversial three points the club were able to announce the deadline-day signings of Robbie Brady and Ashley Westwood. Leicester began as if they meant business, with Marc Albrighton making inroads down the left wing, though Burnley proved effective at closing down his crosses and gradually the home side’s forwards began to feature in the game. Ashley Barnes sent the first shot of the evening just wide from a flick by Andre Gray, then George Boyd saw an attempt blocked by Robert Huth. Gray made himself a chance by pinching the ball from Wes Morgan as the Leicester captain attempted a sliding challenge, but from a promising position could only find the side netting. By the mid-point of the first half Burnley were getting on top, with Leicester pinned back in their own half and becoming increasingly hopeful in their attempts to hit Jamie Vardy with long balls forward. The Turf Moor crowd was incensed a few minutes before the interval when Michael Keane appeared to be impeded by Danny Drinkwater as he rose to meet Jeff Hendrick’s cross. Mike Dean waved away appeals for a penalty and was similarly unimpressed when Danny Simpson and Barnes came together the next time the ball came into the area. All Burnley had to show for their first-half dominance were a couple of well-struck shots from Joey Barton that flew too high, and they could have been punished on the stroke of the interval but for Leicester’s equally poor finishing. A chance to put a free-kick into the Burnley area right at the end of the half offered a welcome respite for a side finding it hard to cross the halfway line, but though Morgan rose unchallenged to Albrighton’s cross he put his header over the bar. Barton continued to be Burnley’s most adventurous attacker, or at least the forward most prepared to have a go, sending another shot narrowly wide at the start of the second half. Scott Arfield did the same a few moments later, with Gray not far off from getting a decisive final touch, and Gray brought a save from Kasper Schmeichel as the home side turned up the pressure. Burnley had to be careful. In a rare reprise of what used to happen quite regularly last season Riyad Mahrez produced a run and a dipping shot that Tom Heaton could not quite hold at the first attempt, but in a cruel reminder of what hardly ever used to happen last season Vardy was not on the scene quickly enough to take advantage of the rebound. Gray, Michael Keane and Hendrick all saw shots blocked in quick succession as Burnley attempted to cash in on a couple of corners and a spell of pressure midway through the second half, before the dangerous Gray broke into the box and stayed on his feet despite Huth’s best attempts to wrestle him to the floor. Gray’s eventual shot was blocked by Morgan for a corner, from which Ben Mee missed the target with a free header from the six-yard line. They might have had a penalty had their player gone to ground instead of shrugging off an illegal challenge. It was a similar situation to the one involving Raheem Sterling against Tottenham. If players are to be encouraged to stay on their feet and not exaggerate every contact at the earliest opportunity, it would help if officials could spot obvious fouls without waiting for histrionic assistance. Yet what comes around goes around, and though Vokes’ goal should have been disallowed following Arfield’s corner, at least Dean and his assistants managed to aggrieve both parties. Not that that will be any comfort to Leicester should their survival come down to a single-point margin at the end of the season. Guardian
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Post by rugbytoffee on Jan 31, 2017 22:51:35 GMT
Burnley at home are very hard to beat. Just signed Brady from Norwich and Westwood from Villa.
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