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 5 successive league wins as they scraped to a narrow victory at Alex Neil's fiery Stoke to climb up three points clear at the top of the Championship once again.


Josh Cullen's scrappy close-range strike on 60 minutes - the summer signing from Anderlecht's very first objective for the club - proved the distinction between 2 well-matched sides.


The in-form Clarets were given among their most difficult 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 actually broken away from the chasing pack.


Burnley have now opened up a 14-point space on third-placed Blackburn Rovers, who are 11 points adrift of that second automated promotion location, while the remainder of the crowded Championship top 10 are by simply 3 points.


Friday's Championship action, as it occurred


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


Confusion in between Ian Maatsen and goalkeeper Arijanet Muric as Tyrese Campbell provided chase to what appeared in vain pursuit of a hopeful long ball enabled the Stoke striker to round the keeper and get to the byline broad out.


But, when he squared over to what must have been a practically empty web, nobody had actually 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 penalty claim when Manuel Benson's face the Stoke penalty area ended when he was apparently reduced by Morgan Fox.


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


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


But the Clarets had a bit additional waiting on the bench in the kind of Morocco's Anass Zaroury and leading scorer Jay Rodriguez - and within 8 minutes of them coming on Burnley struck.


Harry Clarke had an opportunity on the goal line to clear Benson's deflected shot however it rebounded withdraw 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 holiday.


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


Stoke City boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke:


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


"The goal we conceded was discouraging, to state the least. It wasn't created by them. It was distributed by us.


"I feel for the gamers due to the fact that they worked so difficult versus the very best group in the league."


Burnley boss Vincent Kompany informed BBC Radio Lancashire:


"That was a big win. Maybe our biggest win of the season - if you don't take into account the derby. Winning a night game at Stoke is big.


"It was scrappy however if you do it that way it provides you confidence for the next time. It offers you a factor to think.


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


Burnley