Stoke City 0-1 Burnley: Josh Cullen Strike Earns Leaders A 5th Consecutive Win

30 December 2022


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ByGed Scott
BBC Sport at the bet365 Stadium


Vincent Kompany's Burnley made it five successive league wins as they scraped to a narrow success at Alex Neil's intense Stoke to climb up three points clear at the top of the Championship again.


Josh Cullen's scrappy close-range strike on 60 minutes - the summertime signing from Anderlecht's first goal for the club - showed the difference in between 2 well-matched sides.


The in-form Clarets were provided one of their hardest tests of the season before restoring their three-point cushion over second-placed Sheffield United, who had won at Blackpool 24 hr previously.


But Kompany's Clarets and the Blades have broken away from the chasing pack.


Burnley have actually now opened a 14-point space on third-placed Blackburn Rovers, who are 11 points adrift of that 2nd automatic promotion place, while the rest of the congested Championship top 10 are separated by simply 3 points.


Friday's Championship action, as it occurred


Out-of-form Stoke, now simply 5 points clear of threat, appeared like they had Burnley especially rattled early on.


Confusion in between Ian Maatsen and goalkeeper Arijanet Muric as Tyrese Campbell gave chase to what appeared in vain pursuit of an enthusiastic long ball permitted the Stoke striker to round the keeper and get to the byline wide out.


But, when he squared over to what need to have been a practically empty internet, nobody had made the supporting run.


Campbell then had a shot blocked after a skewed clearance from Muric.


Burnley started to take more control and might have had a charge claim when Manuel the Stoke penalty location ended when he was relatively lowered by Morgan Fox.


Referee Keith Stroud waved the visitors' claims away, just as he provided for two Stoke penalty shouts in the 2nd half.


There was a double escape for Burnley when Morgan Fox had a shot blocked at close range by keeper Muric in a scramble.


But the Clarets had a bit additional waiting on the bench in the type of Morocco's Anass Zaroury and top scorer Jay Rodriguez - and within eight minutes of them beginning Burnley struck.


Harry Clarke had a possibility on the goal line to clear Benson's deflected shot however it rebounded back off keeper Jack Bonham a few feet off the flooring and Cullen flew in to take off and prod the ball over the line.


Who's next?


Having finished their last games of 2022, both sides are back in action on Monday on the New Year's Day bank vacation.


Stoke are at home again versus manager Neil's former side Preston, while Burnley go to Swansea.


Stoke City boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke:


"It was a truly tight, cagey match. We did a lot of things well. We were disciplined and organised. And I don't believe we deserved to lose.


"The objective we conceded was aggravating, to say the least. It wasn't developed by them. It was handed out by us.


"I feel for the players because they worked so difficult against the finest group in the league."


Burnley boss Vincent Kompany told BBC Radio Lancashire:


"That was a big win. Maybe our most significant win of the season - if you do not take into account the derby. Winning a night video game at Stoke is big.


"It was scrappy but if you do it that way it gives you self-confidence for the next time. It offers you a factor to believe.


"Credit to Stoke however, unlike that day versus Sheffield United, we didn't enable the opposition to put us under pressure a lot."


Burnley