RED-HOT ROD
Jay’s 50th Burnley goal increases drop fears for struggling Hornets
JAY RODRIGUEZ scored the winner with his 50th Burnley goal to help them bounce back – 12 years after netting his first.
Rodriguez was just 19 when he netted for his hometown club in a League Cup tie against Fulham under Owen Coyle in 2008
The striker returned to his beloved Clarets in the summer after seven years away and his superb header brought up his half-century.
The win atoned for the 5-0 defeat at Manchester City on Monday and saw Burnley make it over the psychological 40-point barrier. But Nigel Pearson’s Watford remain deep in trouble just a point and two places above the drop zone.
They were on top when Rodriguez scored and missed a great chance in the final minute when Adam Masina headed over unmarked from close range.
Thankfully Turf Moor was not buzzed by any planes trailing vile banners and the club played messages in support of Black Lives Matter before kick-off.
The Clarets also put up two new banners behind the goal in the Jimmy McIlroy stand, saying ‘one club for all’ and ‘this is everyone v discrimination’.
Watford were buoyed by Craig Dawson’s last-gasp equaliser against Leicester and the Hornets centre-half should have opened the scoring but he headed straight at Nick Pope when unmarked at the back post.
Burnley were determined to make amends for their City drubbing and should have scored when Matej-Vydra hit the post with an audacious lob, with Ben Foster caught in no-man’s land.
Rodriguez’s attempt from the follow-up was blocked on the line by Dawson and Josh Brownhill wastefully shot wide from the rebound.
For all of Burnley’s dominance, Watford still threatened through Dawson at set-pieces and he headed just over from Tom Cleverley’s corner.
Watford took control after the interval and might have taken the lead when Pope dropped Hughes’ corner at the feet of Craig Cathcart before recovering to block the defender’s shot. Watford got closer and Dwight McNeil cleared Troy Deeney’s header off the line and Hughes blazed over from the rebound.
Danny Welbeck dallied when through on goal, allowing James Tarkowski to tackle him.
Burnley scored against the run of play on 73 minutes with a beautiful goal. Brownhill skipped past a challenge to feed McNeil on the left and he crossed for Rodriguez to connect with a glancing header into the far corner.
Vydra should have sealed victory when he raced through only for Hornets keeper Foster to deny him.
Watford were just as culpable and Masina fluffed his big moment on the 90th minute.
BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 6; Lowton 7, Tarkowski 7, Mee 6, Taylor 6; Brownhill 6, Westwood 6, Cork 6, McNeil 7; Vydra 6, Rodriguez 8 (Pieters 80).
WATFORD (4-2-3-1): Foster 6; Kiko 6, Kabasele 5 (Cathcart 45, 7), Dawson 7, Masina 5; Hughes 6 (Chalobah 82), Capoue 6; Sarr 6, Cleverley 6 (Doucoure 45, 6), Welbeck 5; Deeney 7 (Gray 85).