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 consecutive league wins as they scraped to a narrow success at Alex Neil's intense Stoke to climb 3 points clear at the top of the Championship again.
Josh Cullen's scrappy close-range strike on 60 minutes - the summer season signing from Anderlecht's first goal for the club - proved the distinction between two well-matched sides.
The in-form Clarets were given one of their most difficult tests of the season before restoring their three-point cushion over second-placed Sheffield United, who had won at Blackpool 24 hours previously.
But Kompany's Clarets and the Blades have broken away from the chasing pack.
Burnley have now opened up a 14-point gap on third-placed Blackburn Rovers, who are 11 points adrift of that second automatic promo location, while the rest of the crowded Championship top 10 are separated by just three points.
Friday's Championship action, as it took place
Out-of-form Stoke, now just 5 points clear of risk, appeared like they had Burnley especially rattled early on.
Confusion between Ian Maatsen and goalkeeper Arijanet Muric as Tyrese Campbell offered chase to what appeared fruitless pursuit of an enthusiastic long ball allowed the Stoke striker to round the keeper and get to the byline broad out.
But, when he squared over to what ought to have been a practically empty internet, nobody had made the supporting run.
Campbell then took a crack at obstructed after a skewed clearance from Muric.
Burnley began to take more control and may have had a penalty claim when Manuel Benson's run into the Stoke charge location ended when he was relatively reduced by Morgan Fox.
Referee Keith Stroud waved the visitors' claims away, simply as he provided for two Stoke penalty shouts in the 2nd half.
There was a double escape for Burnley when Morgan Fox took a crack at at close quarters by keeper Muric in a scramble.
But the Clarets had a bit extra waiting on the bench in the type of Morocco's Anass Zaroury and leading scorer Jay Rodriguez - and within eight minutes of them beginning Burnley struck.
Harry Clarke had a chance on the objective line to clear Benson's deflected shot but 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 final games of 2022, both sides are back in action on Monday on the New Year's Day bank holiday.
Stoke are at home once again against manager Neil's former side Preston, while Burnley go to Swansea.
Stoke City employer Alex Neil informed 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 goal we conceded was discouraging, to say the least. It wasn't produced by them. It was distributed by us.
"I feel for the gamers due to the fact that they worked so difficult versus the best team in the league."
Burnley manager 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 game at Stoke is big.
"It was scrappy but if you do it that way it offers you self-confidence for the next time. It offers you a factor to believe.
"Credit to Stoke but, unlike that day versus Sheffield United, we didn't allow the opposition to put us under pressure a lot."
Burnley