Burnley beat Leicester to boost European hopes

Ince late strike scores vital win for Huddersfield

LONDON, April 14, (RTRS): Burnley earned their fifth straight Premier League win with a 2-1 triumph over Leicester City at Turf Moor on Saturday to boost their chances of qualifying for next season’s Europa League.

Former Leicester striker Chris Wood put Burnley ahead in the sixth minute, latching on to a clever Ashley Barnes pass and firing past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel at the second attempt.

Three minutes later Burnley doubled their advantage when Kevin Long rose at the back post to head home a Johann Berg Gudmundsson corner.

Leicester had several chances to get back into the game but it was not until the 72nd minute that they found the target -- Jamie Vardy powering home after a strong run and pass from substitute Kelechi Iheanacho.

The seventh-placed Clarets held on, though, to open up a nine-point lead over eighth placed Leicester. Seventh place would be enough to qualify for the Europa League unless Southampton win the FA Cup. Huddersfield Town 1, Watford 0 Tom Ince struck in stoppage time as Huddersfield Town beat Watford 1-0 to take a huge step towards Premier League survival on Saturday.

The hosts had managed only one goal in their previous five matches and were toothless against a Watford side who rarely looked ruffled and who actually created the better chances.

But Ince fired home from Mathias Jorgensen’s cut-back as the clock ticked past the 90-minute mark with what was Huddersfield’s only effort on target.

A huge cheer greeted the final whistle as Huddersfield moved up to 14th place, seven points above the relegation zone. Watford are all but safe in 12th spot. Crystal Palace 3, Brighton & Hove

Albion 2 Wilfried Zaha scored his first-ever Premier League double as Crystal Palace took a huge step towards avoiding relegation by beating Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 at Selhurst Park and move six points clear of the drop zone.

An astonishing first half delivered five goals in the opening 34 minutes with Zaha, twice, and James Tompkins making a mockery of Palace’s recent league form which had brought just one win in 10 league games and three successive home defeats.

Zaha’s second, a bullet header from Luka Milivojevic’s cross, was particularly impressive, but Brighton, who before this game had scored only seven away goals all season, responded with a close-range effort from Glenn Murray and a sublime finish from Jose Izquierdo.

The second half was never going to top that as Palace guarded their lead against fierce Brighton pressure, with Murray twice going close against his former club. But Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey held on to earn Palace their first home league win in three months.

Swansea City 1, Everton 1 A superb display by a Swansea side seeking their fifth home win in a row was blighted by a Kyle Naughton own goal as visitors Everton held them to a 1-1 draw in their Premier League clash at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

Despite the dominance of the home side, keeper Lukasz Fabianski had to make two superb reflex saves in quick succession to thwart Everton.

Unfortunately for him, the second bounced off the head of Naughton and back towards the goal and though Alfie Mawson cleared the ball it was deemed to have crossed the line.