Burnley grab point with late penalty

CHRIS Wood’s stoppage-time penalty denied Wolves victory at Turf Moor as a 1-1 draw meant the battle for European places intensified.

Raul Jimenez’s 75th-minute strike appeared to have boosted Wolves’ Champions League hopes, but Burnley refused to roll over as they extended an undefeated home league run that stretches back to New Year’s Day.

Wood, having missed a sitter moments before, went for an ambitious overhead kick in the area and drew a handball from Matt Doherty. Wolves appealed for a high boot and VAR took a long look before Wood fired his spotkick into the top corner.

Adama Traore, restored to the starting line-up in one of four changes from Wolves’ weekend win over Everton, carried the threat as he ran at Charlie Taylor again and again, and it was from a Traore cross that Wolves created their first chance as Jimenez headed straight at Nick Pope.

Burnley were slow to grow into the game, their possession gradually increasing but glimpses of goal were rare.

Traore had a new defender to terrorise when Taylor was forced off injured after half an hour, with Erik Pieters slotting in as Johann Gudmundsson came on in midfield.

Traore duly beat him at the first attempt, but Wolves’ next chance came from the opposite flank as Daniel Podence picked out the run of Diogo Jota, who found the sidenetting as he shot on the turn.

Burnley might have led at the break as they sprang forward on a counter-attack, with Gudmundsson playing a sweeping ball to Rodriguez before Coady charged down the shot.

Burnley lost Rodriguez to an injury early in the half, bringing on Matej Vydra, and things almost got worse as Wolves tried to hit them on the break, Jimenez firing a shot over as they quickly moved the ball forward.

The breakthrough came in the 75th minute. Traore fed substitute Doherty who saw his shot from the edge of the area charged down.

But the ball span over to Jimemez who did not even let it drop before lashing a shot beyond the helpless Pope.

Wood should have headed in an equaliser when Vydra pulled the ball back to him in front of an open goal, only for the New Zealander to head wide. But he made amends moments later to add another twist to the battle for Europe.