CLARETS BLITZ BLOWS NEIL AWAY
STRUGGLING Huddersfield failed their ‘test against the best’ as table-topping Burnley ripped apart Neil Warnock’s troubled Terriers at Turf Moor.
Three goals in the opening 31 minutes left Warnock’s men completely shell-shocked. And an added strike by sub Michael Obafemi piled on the agony.
Defeat left Town rooted in the bottom three, only off the very bottom on goal difference.
Old-stager Warnock said: “I’ve learned a lot about my team, playing against the best championship side I’ve seen in 25 years.
“I don’t think Vincent Kompany has received the credit he deserves for what he has achieved.
“As for us, we have 13 winnable games left and we don’t have to play Burnley again. The league table hasn’t changed dramatically, and I’m still optimistic. We’re still fighting for our lives, but we battle on.”
Kompany said: “I can appreciate the compliment from Neil Warnock, but we still have a job to do. We are still No.21 in English football.
“We were solid on all fronts and sent 20,000 Burnley fans home with a smile. We created so many chances, and threatened all the time. Against Millwall midweek we had 19 chances on goal, and now we have had 22. That is very satisfying.”
It only took Burnley seven minutes to look set to add to their unbeaten status at Turf Moor when Moroccan International Anass Zaroury smashed a long-range cross into the box and Ashley Barnes got the last touch.
Connor Roberts then finished off a set-up by tireless Johann Berg Gudmondsson, and the agony for Huddersfield went on as Josh Brownhill got in on the goal action just after the half hour. Again, that man Gudmondsson was the creator.
It was one-way traffic and Obafemi added the final gloss after 74 minutes. BURNLEY: Muric 6; Roberts 7, Ekdal 6, Beyer 6 (Vitinho (78) 5), Maatsen 6 (Taylor (59) 6), Brownhill 7 (Obafeme (67) 6), Cullen 7; Gudmondsson 8, Tella 7 (Twine (78) 5), Zaroury 8; Barnes 7 (Foster (67) 6)
HUDDERSFIELD: Bilokapic 5; Edmonds-Green 6, Lees 5, Helik 6, Headley 6, Kasumu 5 (High (45) 6), Rudoni 6, Camara 6; Hungbo 5 (Diarra (45) 6), Ward 6 (Waghorn (75) 5), Koroma 6
STAR MAN: Johann Berg Gudmondsson – Burnley’s cool Icelander set up goals and chances galore.
REF: Matthew Donohue 7