Dec 07,2024
A fine strike from Connor Roberts was not enough to take Burnley to the top of the Championship as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Middlesbrough.
With John Egan and Josh Cullen starting for the Clarets and up against international team-mate Finn Azaz, it was a game no doubt of interest to Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Halgrimsson.
It marked Egan's first league start for the club since joining from Sheffield United on a free transfer in September.
At a wet and windy Turf Moor, Roberts' 25-yard effort in the 37th minute cancelled out Anfernee Dijksteel's 13th-minute opener.
Ultimately two sides managed before one-time England team-mates Scott Parker and Michael Carrick could not be separated as Burnley were left a point behind Sheffield United, who travel to West Brom on Sunday, while Boro stay fifth.
Burnley came into the match on the back of five straight clean sheets but, given Boro's record of 13 goals in their last three away games, it was perhaps no surprise that run did not last. What was surprising was how easy it appeared to breach Burnley's defence for the first time in 501 minutes.
Dijksteel burst down the right to start the move and was there to end it when Bashir Humphreys failed to track him as he latched on to Dan Barlaser's pass, breaking into the box and prodding the ball over James Trafford for his first Championship goal.
Burnley responded well, and it needed good reactions from Boro goalkeeper Seny Dieng to scoop Cullen's shot over the bar after a wicked deflection off Dael Fry.
With swirling winds, the precursor to Storm Darragh, blowing spare balls on to the pitch, Burnley kept up the pressure as Jeremy Sarmiento tried to arrow in a shot which Dieng palmed into the side-netting.
At the other end Ben Doak, the 19-year-old on loan from Liverpool, beat several challenges before firing just wide.
But that was a rare Boro attack, and Burnley deservedly got themselves level eight minutes before half-time, perhaps with a helping hand from the conditions.
Roberts played three one-twos, the last with Josh Brownhill, before hitting a shot from 25 yards which caught out a flat-footed Dieng as it looped over him and into the net, Roberts' first Burnley goal since April 2023 after he spent the second half of last season with Leeds.
The start of the second half was all Boro. George Edmundson headed just wide from Barlaser's dinked free-kick before Delano Burgzorg shot straight at Trafford from the centre of the area.
The arrivals of substitutes Zian Flemming and Hannibal Mejbri gave Burnley fresh impetus, but Hannibal was guilty of squandering a fine chance in the 68th minute, insisting on going alone when Jaidon Anthony was in space and screaming for the ball to his right.
Boro substitute Emmanuel Latte Lah then broke the offside trap to race on to Azaz's pass, and Trafford had to be precise to nick the ball away from the Ivorian on the edge of the box.
It was then Anthony's turn to bend a shot wide from the edge of the box before the otherwise excellent Roberts fluffed his lines from five yards out following a corner, and it ended all-square.
