Tarkowski ends Clarets’ Turf Moor losing streak
ENGLAND defender James Tarkowski reached the dizzy heights of becoming Burnley’s joint-top league goalscorer with his scrappy winner against Brighton.
Tarkowski’s 40th-minute strike, when the ball went in off his chest, left him on three goals alongside Sam Vokes and lifted the Clarets out of the bottom three, much to everyone’s relief at Turf Moor.
And Burnley boss Sean Dyche finally breathed a huge sigh of relief after three successive home defeats.
He said: “It’s been a tough early period of the season but we’re kind of getting back to where we should be. We have to play better than we did today but there’s relief because we have been on a tough run.
“There was that bit of nervousness. You have got to find a way to win and we know we can do better.”
Brighton boss Chris Hughton had been unbeaten in six previous league games against Burnley as a manager and was left to curse just one shot on target all day from his lacklustre side. He said: “I thought we were the better team but we conceded a scrappy goal. I’m disappointed but we didn’t do enough in the first half to really force that goal.”
It looked plain sailing for Burnley as torrential rain swept across Turf Moor but there should have been a late equaliser for Brighton.
Glenn Murray delivered the perfect cross for fellow sub Jurgen Locadia but he put a point-blank header over the top with the goal at his mercy.
And that signalled a final, frantic flurry from Hughton’s men, with Clarets keeper Joe Hart pulling off a late, great save from Murray.
Burnley 1 Brighton 0 Steve Millar