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Burnley’s Ashley Barnes goes close in scoreless draw with Sunderland Burnley’s Ashley Barnes goes close in scoreless draw with Sunderland
(about 2 hours later)
At some point this season, Burnley and Sunderland will win a league game. But not just yet, and possibly not for a while. In the meantime, they conjured one of the most predictable scorelines of the season. Burnley can’t score and are increasingly solid defensively. Sunderland are the division’s draw specialists. The points were duly shared, to neither delight nor dismay, and until the woodwork was rattled twice in the closing minutes, there was an air of inevitability about the outcome. At some point this season, Burnley and Sunderland will win a league game. But not just yet, and possibly not for a while. In the meantime, they conjured one of the most predictable scorelines of the season. Burnley cannot score and are increasingly solid defensively. Sunderland are the division’s draw specialists.
It was an outcome to satisfy statisticians, if few others. The points were duly shared, to neither delight nor dismay. Indeed, until the woodwork was rattled twice in the closing minutes, there was an air of inevitability about the stalemate.
Burnley recorded a third successive clean sheet in the top flight for the first time since 1968. Their goal drought, dating back to Scott Arfield’s spectacular opener against Chelsea, now extends to 526 minutes. If they rarely looked like ending it, perhaps sympathy should be extended to the starving Clarets. Even then, the drama was deceptive. Ashley Barnes’s effort acquired an added menace courtesy of a deflection off Lee Cattermole, redirecting it on to the bar. The hosts’ goalkeeper, Tom Heaton, then tipped an added-time thunderbolt from the Sunderland left-back Patrick van Aanholt on to the post.
While Liverpool are experiencing life without the sold Luis Suárez and the sidelined Daniel Sturridge, Burnley find themselves in a similar predicament. They, too, had two strikers who reached the 20-goal landmark last season. Now neither is available and, with Sam Vokes recovering from a cruciate ligament and Danny Ings hamstrung. They were ill-timed injuries. Burnley’s first two home games were against Chelsea and Manchester United and if this represented the first truly winnable match on home soil, Sean Dyche’s side required a cutting edge and instead had a blunt attack. The Sunderland manager was nevertheless nonplussed. “I was expecting more than that,” said Gus Poyet. “Everything we planned didn’t really go as we would like. We played OK but okay is not enough in the Premier League. We need to play better than OK.”
Marvin Sordell had an immediate opportunity to mark his first Premier League start by ensuring the absent forwards weren’t missed. So it was an outcome to satisfy statisticians, if few others. Burnley recorded a third successive clean sheet in the top flight for the first time since 1968. However, their goal drought, dating back to Scott Arfield’s spectacular opener against Chelsea, now extends to 526 minutes. If they rarely looked like ending it, perhaps sympathy should be extended to the parched Clarets.
Sadly for him, he squandered it, scuffing his shot wide. It set the tone for much of the afternoon. It was only in a late rally that Burnley truly threatened. While Liverpool are experiencing life without the sold Luis Suárez and the sidelined Daniel Sturridge, Burnley find themselves in a similar predicament. They, too, had two strikers who reached the 20-goal landmark last season. Now neither is available, with Sam Vokes recovering from cruciate ligament surgery and Danny Ings hamstrung. They were ill-timed injuries. Burnley’s first two home games were against Chelsea and Manchester United and if this represented the first truly winnable match on home soil, Sean Dyche’s side required a cutting edge. Instead, they had a blunt attack.
Scott Arfield almost caught Vito Mannone out at his near post and Lukas Jutkiewicz, who impressed with his incessant running, tested the Italian. “I am not naive,” Dyche said. “I know you have to score goals to win games but our performance levels are very good. We probably edged it.”
Ashley Barnes, Sordell’s replacement, clipped the crossbar with a shot that took a sizeable deflection off Lee Cattermole. He took solace from Burnley’s infectious commitment. “If we keep playing like that I am absolutely convinced wins are around the corner,” Dyche said.
So Burnley ended as they started, playing at a high tempo. Sunderland began on the back foot and grew into the game. Jack Rodwell brought purposeful running and Connor Wickham a willingness to shoot from distance. There were glimpses of quality from Adam Johnson and Emanuele Giaccherini, particularly when they combined and the Italian centred, aiming to give Wickham a tap-in. Burnley captain Jason Shackell made a goal-saving interception. Then, in added time, goalkeeper Tom Heaton emulated the centre-back, plunging to his left to turn Patrick van Aanholt’s shot against the post. Ings’s replacement Marvin Sordell had an immediate opportunity to mark his first Premier League start by ensuring the absent forwards weren’t missed. Sadly for him, he squandered it, scuffing his shot wide.
Meanwhile, Sunderland fans entertained themselves by calling for Alan Pardew to remain Newcastle manager. It was a sign the real drama was occurring elsewhere. His strike partner, Lukas Jutkiewicz, showed a Stakhanovite work ethic and Dyche felt his side merited a penalty when Emanuele Giaccherini challenged the former Middlesbrough man, but Burnley only truly threatened when Arfield, their sole scorer this season, almost caught Vito Mannone out at his near post and Barnes nearly scored in fortunate fashion. But Burnley ended as they started, playing at a high tempo.
Sunderland’s performance was more fitful. There were glimpses of quality from Adam Johnson and Giaccherini, particularly when they combined and the Italian centred, aiming to give Connor Wickham a tap-in. The Burnley captain, Jason Shackell, made a goal-saving interception.
Van Aanholt then struck the post but it wasn’t enough to placate Poyet. “I wanted to control the game more, to be in better positions and create better chances,” he said. “It was a big opportunity to take three points and we missed it.”
Nor did the travelling fans depart satisfied. They spent much of the second half calling for Alan Pardew to remain Newcastle manager. They fell silent when news of their rivals’ comeback at St James’ Park filtered throughand while Sunderland may be stable and Newcastle embroiled in crisis, they are separated by a point.