Burnley on a high as Hughes comes under fire
BURNLEY climbed into the Champions League places as Ashley Barnes’ late winner earned them a 1-0 victory over troubled Stoke.
This was not one of the Clarets’ better displays in filthy conditions and the visitors enjoyed the better of the chances prior to Barnes’ 89th minute strike.
It is more than 40 years since Burnley have occupied such a lofty position, and their joy was in direct contrast to the emotions of Mark Hughes and his Stoke players.
Three days after being confronted by angry fans at the railway station following the 5-1 mauling by Tottenham, Hughes was jeered by the vocal band of away supporters.
There were loud boos and chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ when Hughes replaced Xherdan Shaqiri with Eric Choupo-Moting five minutes before Burnley’s goal.
The defeat continued Stoke’s worst start to a Premier League season, and they could drop closer to the relegation zone tonight.
This was certainly a night where a lack of character was not an option.
Freezing rain swept across Turf Moor as the players took to the pitch and, no doubt with Hughes’ words ringing in their ears, Stoke set about trying to rectify some of Saturday’s damage. With just a minute of normal time remaining — and the game appearing to be petering out — a long ball was headed down by Barnes to Scott Arfield.
Arfield played it back to Barnes just inside the area and he sent a fine finish flying past Jack Butland and into the bottom corner to the delight of the home fans.
• NORTHERN Ireland international Will Grigg struck twice late on as Sky Bet League One leaders Wigan ended the FA Cup hopes of Vanarama National League side AFC Fylde.
His double gave the Latics a 3-2 win in their second-round replay at the DW Stadium.
Wigan are now set for a January trip to Bournemouth. Late show: Burnley’s Ashley Barnes after his late winner CRYSTAL Palace climbed out of the Premier League’s bottom three after completing their recovery from a goal down in stoppage time to earn a vital 2-1 victory over 10-man Watford.
In a disastrous start, Palace’s lack of concentration was punished by the visitors when Daryl Janmaat headed them into the lead in the third minute.
Their improved intensity went without reward to the extent that when Tom Cleverley was sent off in the 87th minute they would have settled for a point.
Bakary Sako instead scored the equaliser in the 89th minute and fellow substitute James McArthur secured an unlikely victory with his stoppage-time finish.
After just three minutes, Richarlison was gifted as much time and space to cross from the left wing as Janmaat was to convert it, and after the Brazilian’s classy, curling delivery, the defender headed into the top right corner.
Scott Dann, who had returned in the absence of the injured Mamadou Sakho, came close when heading just wide of the left post from Yohan Cabaye’s corner.
The turning point came when Cleverley was sent off for his second yellow card after diving in on Jeffrey Schlupp. From space on the left, Zaha cut into the area to force a save from Heurelho Gomes and, after Sako’s first rebound was also saved, he then poked in into the near open goal.
Zaha was again gifted similar space in stoppage time and, after his footwork created space to cross, McArthur swept into the bottom corner to lift Palace up to 17 th and out of the bottom three for the first time this season.