Clinical Newcastle shrug off delayed start to add to Burnley’s troubles

Vokes 40 fans and the defeat leaves the Clarets just a point above the relegation zone. They have now taken only two points from their last six matches.

Kick-off at Turf Moor had been pushed back by half an hour until 8.30pm after referees’ assessor Eddie Wolstenholme collapsed in the tunnel and was taken to hospital.

Newcastle were clearly itching to get started and took the lead after just four minutes. The hosts failed to clear a corner and Newcastle centre-back Federico Fernandez’s tame effort from the edge of the penalty box somehow found the top corner via a deflection off Ben Mee.

The Toon Army were celebrating again midway through the half. A short corner saw Scotland winger Matt Ritchie curl an inviting cross towards the near post and Ciaran Clark glanced home into the far corner to double Newcastle’s lead.

Burnley looked in real trouble at that stage but then, out of nowhere, Sam Vokes scored a superb header five minutes before half-time. Mee sent a long, diagonal ball forward which the Wales international met with power from 16 yards out to loop over Martin Dubravka and into the net.

Early in the second half Ritchie had a chance to restore Newcastle’s two-goal lead but missed an open goal from two yards, and late on his teammate Joselu hit a post. 0 Ciaran Clark celebrates after his header put Newcastle 2-0 up.