Burnley went back to the top of the Championship after holding on to beat Norwich at Turf Moor and extend their unbeaten league run to 29 matches. Goals from Hannibal Mejbri and Jaidon Anthony before the break were reward for a dominant first-half display by the hosts, who moved three points clear of Leeds.
Norwich were much improved in the second half and Jack Stacey pulled one back, but Scott Parker’s side stood firm to also extend their unbeaten home league run this season to 21 matches.
Burnley dominated the early possession and their patient probing paid off when Mejbri stole in behind the visitors’ defence to give the home side a 14th-minute lead. The Tunisia midfielder darted on to Josh Cullen’s inch-perfect free-kick into the penalty area and kept his composure to steer a low finish beyond Angus Gunn for his first goal for the club.
Norwich wasted the chance of an immediate response as the unmarked Kellen Fisher headed straight at James Trafford six yards out from Kenny McLean’s excellent cross.
Burnley were buoyed by their early breakthrough and their crisp interplay was easy on the eye as Norwich struggled to contain them. And, while the second goal came via a big deflection, it was no less than Burnley deserved. Anthony’s shot from outside the box struck the Norwich captain, Shane Duffy, on the back and wrongfooted Gunn in the 24th minute.
Parker’s side had conceded only five goals at Turf Moor this season before Norwich’s visit and the visitors passed up another clear chance to make that six shortly before half-time. Borja Sainz raced clear into the area and, with just Trafford to beat, the Championship’s leading scorer lifted his effort over the goalkeeper and narrowly wide of his left-hand post.
Mejbri then went close to putting Burnley 3-0 up two minutes before the interval with a curling effort from the edge of the box which clipped the outside of a post.
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Norwich were vastly improved after the restart and enjoyed their best spell of possession before Mejbri was denied a second goal again – after his brilliant turn in the box – by Duffy’s last-gasp block. But Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side, with Josh Sargent to the fore, began to pose Burnley problems of their own. Stacey, a 67th-minute replacement for Emiliano Marcondes, hauled Norwich back in it in the 76th minute to set up a nervous finale.
McLean headed a corner goalwards and Stacey was first to react, turning the ball home from close range for a rare goal conceded by Trafford on home soil. Norwich continued to press in the closing stages but were denied further scoring chances as their outside hopes of a playoff spot were dealt another blow.
Source: theguardian.com
