Two off as Clarets sink Terriers

ASHLEY Barnes fired Burnley to a first Premier League win on the road in January to lift the Clarets clear of the relegation zone.

But they needed the help of a Huddersfield red card to land the spoils in a scrappy and at times bad-tempered battle of the Roses in which Robbie Brady also received his marching orders on 90 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Terriers, Brady’s red came too late to rescue a point – the Clarets midfielder receiving a straight red for hacking down Isaac Mbenza as he charged in towards goal.

Strikes by Chris Wood and Barnes, with a calm finish on 74 minutes, cancelled out a first goal of the season for any Huddersfield forward, Steve Mounie breaking a drought which stretched back to May.

Miserable

And Sean Dyche’s side’s two vital goals sandwiched the pivotal moment in the match when Chris Schindler received a second caution for pulling back Dwight McNeil.

Victory lifted Burnley two points away from the relegation places. But defeat left Huddersfield rock-bottom and having lost for the fourth home game in a run for the first time since 1934-35 – another unwanted club record.

Burnley had emerged from a miserable festive period with some much needed momentum after taking three vital points against West Ham on Sunday.

There had been no such lifting of the gloom for Huddersfield with an agonising last-gasp defeat at Fulham completing a seven-match run without a win, stretching back to November 25.

The problem for the Terriers has not been a lack of spirit or fight but a lack of goals with just four at home all season and a dozen in all, not one of them scored by a recognised striker.

Last night’s focal point, Mounie, even held the dubious distinction of having more attempts on goal (32) and shots on target (15) without scoring than any other top-flight player this season.

But all that was forgotten in an instant last night.

On 33 minutes Mounie finally ended his drought, rising between Ben Mee and Charlie Taylor to glance home a cross from Isaac Mbenza – the first goal for a Terriers striker in eight months.

Huddersfield’s lead lasted just seven minutes however, Burnley levelling through Wood – his seventh goal against the Terriers – after McNeil capitalised on indecision from Florent Hadergjonaj and squared for the striker to slot home from six yards out.

Huddersfield’s night took an almost immediate turn for the worse just one minute later when Schindler received his second yellow card of the night swiftly followed by a first red.

The centre-half had been booked for a foul on Wood on the half-hour mark and could have no complaints after hauling down McNeil on the edge of the box.

It left Town boss David Wagner with no option but to reshape his side, withdrawing Alex Pritchard for Erik Durm.

It proved the pivotal moment in the match – and the visitors made their man advantage tell 16 minutes from time when Barnes coolly dispatched Westwood’s through-ball to clinch what could prove a crucial victory.

HUDDERSFIELD (4-2-3-1): Lossl; Hadergjonaj (Lowe 71), Jorgenson, Schindler, Kongolo; Hogg, Billing; Kachunga, Pritchard (Durm 44, Depoitre 83), Mbenza, Mounie. Subs: Bacuna, Diakhaby, Hamer, Stankovic.

BURNLEY(4-4-2): Heaton; Bardsley (Lowton

59), Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Cork, Westwood, McNeil (Brady 63); Barnes (Hendrick

90), Wood. Subs: Hart, Vokes, Vydra, Long.

Referee: Mike Dean.