Wood nets Burnley’s winner
All Whites striker Chris Wood grabbed the winner in Burnley’s 2-1 win over relegation doomed West Bromwich Albion to maintain their chase for a Europa League place next season.
Wood - who started his English career with West Brom - scored from close range for his fourth English Premier League goal in three games since his return from a knee injury at WBA’S Hawthorns ground yesterday.
The Kiwi forward has now scored eight goals and one assist more than any other Burnley player - in his first season back in the EPL after his $26.4 million transfer from Leeds United last August.
Wood marked his recall with the second goal after 73 minutes as Burnley moved within two points of sixth-placed Arsenal.
Matt Lowton found Wood with a fine pass and the big striker skipped past West Brom skipper Jonny Evans and fired a shot which thudded off keeper Ben Foster’s chest.
Wood reacted quickest to the rebound, nodding the ball beyond Foster to clinch Burnley’s third consecutive win.
Salomon Rondon pulled a goal back late on but West Brom’s eighth consecutive defeat in the league kept it on the bottom of the table and 10 points from safety.
Burnley remain in seventh place - on course for a place in the Europa League, the tier below the European Champions League.
Manager Sean Dyche, however, is taking nothing for granted.
‘‘The lads are enjoying what they are doing but they know the reality of the Premier League and how tough it is, they know we are not the real deal,’’ Dyche said at his post-match press conference.
‘‘They know we are a work in progress and though the fans may be singing about Europe, our focus is always just on the next game. We know if we keep performing the rest will take care of itself.’’
‘‘We scored a really good opening goal. We had more possession than you would expect for an away side, we were effective with it, and opened it up with a fine goal.
‘‘It is a strange place to come being how tough a time they’re having, but I thought we handled that well.’’