Premier League: Burnley and Newcastle share spoils at Turf Moor

Relegation-threatened Burnley held high-flying Newcastle United to a highly creditable 1-1 in the Premier League at Turf Moor on Tuesday night.

Midfielder George Boyd gave the home side a deserved lead after 34 minutes with a crisp shot from just outside the penalty area.

However, the Magpies drew level right at the start of the second period thanks to Papiss Cisse’s well-taken volley, with neither side then doing enough to claim all three points.

After a scrappy opening quarter to the match, it was the home team who began to take control of proceedings.

First in-form Clarets frontman Danny Ings forced Newcastle No 1 Rob Elliott, who was replacing the injured Tim Krul in the visitors’ goal, into a fine one-handed reflex save.

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Then his strike partner Ashley Barnes shot over when well placed in the penalty area.

Meanwhile, the Magpies had two half-chances with which to take a first-half lead, however, both forward Sammy Ameobi and then holding midfielder Mehdi Abeid were denied by Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

And the visitors were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Scotland international Boyd fired the home side in front 11 minute before the break.

Right-back Kieran Trippier decided to go route one from the back and when Ings neatly headed his long ball down into the path of Boyd, the midfielder produced a fine finish through a crowd of Newcastle defenders to give Burnley the breakthrough.

In fact, the Clarets should have doubled their advantage in first-half injury time after a lovely move involving both Boyd and Ings, however, after the latter’s neat back heel had given the onrushing David Jones a clear sight of goal, the midfielder blazed high and wide.

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And the north-east outfit took full advantage of that miss by equalising just three minutes after the interval, although Burnley will be kicking themselves after playing a helping hand in Newcastle’s goal.

As after good work down the left by Ameobi, Trippier’s rash clearance fell straight at the feet of the Magpies’ half-time substitute Remy Cabella, and despite the Frenchman’s close-range shot being blocked, the ball was still worked out wide before Yoan Gouffran’s clever dummy gave Cisse the chance to level matters from six yards out.

Thereafter, though, neither keeper was seriously threatened as the contest petered out to an inevitable draw, a result that suited Burnley far more than their opponents.

Indeed the Clarets, unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches, are now out of the drop zone, while Newcastle slip away from the top four places.

SOCCER SPECIAL ANALYSIS - PHIL THOMPSON

Burnley moved out of the bottom three so it’s got to be a decent point for them.

There was bad defending for both goals. The first one, Ings – who was the best player in the first half – cushioned a diagonal ball into the ‘D’, which should have been dealt with by the centre-backs and George Boyd, given time, put it in. 

For the Newcastle goal, it was just after half-time and it was shambolic by Burnley. Their defending was poor but Cisse was alive and alert when Gouffran flicked it on with his knee and put it into the back of the net. 

PLAYER RATINGS

Burnley: Heaton (7), Trippier (7), Keane (6), Shackwell (8), Ward (6), Boyd (6), Marney (6), Jones (6), Arfield (6), Barnes (6), Ings (8)

Used subs: Mee (6), Jutkiewicz (6)

Newcastle United: Elliot (7), Janmaat (7), Williamson (6), Dummett (6), Haidara (6), Abeid (6), Tiote (6), Gouffran (6), Perez (5), Ameobi (7), Cisse (7)

Used subs: Cabella (8), Taylor (7), Riviere (7)

Man of the Match: Danny Ings