Mur-der ARIJANET KILLS SURVIVAL SHOT
ARIJANET MURIC’S horror show robbed Burnley of a win which could have left them dreaming of a miracle relegation escape.
The Clarets keeper allowed a simple back pass from Sander Berge to slip under his foot.
And manager Vincent Kompany, watching on from the stand due to a touchline ban, could see Premier League football slipping away.
This was surely a win-or-bust game for the home side and when Josh Brownhill gave them a lead after another goalkeeping error, this time from Brighton No.1 Bart Verbruggen, the great escape might have been on.
With Craig Bellamy patrolling the technical area rather than the banned Kompany, the Clarets began with courage and conviction.
First they had a justifiable claim for a penalty when Pervis Estupinan upended Wilson Odobert in the area, referee Simon Hooper deeming that the Brighton defender got a touch of the ball. At best it was minimal.
Then they only had themselves to blame, Jacob Bruun Larsen arriving at the far post completely unmarked but smashing Odobert’s cross wide.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side came to life just before the break with Joao Pedro heading just wide.
Jakub Moder’s free-kick was then turned around the post by Muric.
With Pascal Gross pulling the strings and going close with a couple of chances, Burnley were suddenly up against it until they snatched a 74th-minute lead.
Substitute Brownhill chased a Carlos Baleba back pass towards Verbruggen and was rewarded when at full stretch the attempted clearance struck the midfielder and span in.
But that blunder was more than matched at the other end when somehow Muric, who gifted Everton the winner last weekend, missed his kick. Cue the smell of relegation getting stronger around Turf Moor. BURNLEY: Muric 5; Assignon 6, Ekdal 7 (Brownhill (66) 7), Esteve 8, Vitinho 6 (Taylor (46) 6); Cullen 6, Berge 6; Odobert 7, Foster 6, Bruun Larsen 6 (Tresor (86) 6); Fofana 6 (Rodriguez (62) 6)
BRIGHTON: Verbruggen 6; Veltman 6, Van Hecke 6,
Dunk 7, Estupinan 5 (Julio (13) 6); Moder 6 (Fati (77) 6), Baleba 6, Gross 7; Adingra 6 (Lallana (77) 6), Joao Pedro 7 (O’Mahony (89) 6); Welbeck 6 (Buonanotte (77) 6)
STAR MAN: Max Esteve – The young Frenchman once again looked the part for a struggling Burnley side.
REF: Simon Hooper 7