Manuel Benson brace helps Burnley hit back to beat Boro and go six points clear

Posted Sunday, December 18, 2022 by PA

Manuel Benson scored twice, making up for an earlier costly error, as Vincent Kompany’s leaders Burnley moved six points clear at the top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 3-1 win over Middlesbrough.

The 25-year-old winger was on the mark twice in seven second-half minutes, having gifted Michael Carrick’s visitors the opening goal of the game just after half-time at Turf Moor.

That Boro goal, scored by Duncan Watmore just three minutes after his introduction as substitute, came as Benson attempted to keep a loose ball in play on the halfway line.

He succeeded only in hooking the ball blindly back towards his own goal, allowing Watmore to race through and convert an excellent near-post finish past the diving Arijanet Muric.

But, on the hour, Benson made amends for his mistake when he controlled a long pass from Jordan Beyer on his chest and drove inside from the right touchline.

The Belgian cut past full-back Ryan Giles in devastating fashion before scoring the equaliser with a low, left-footed drive past Zack Steffen.

Just seven minutes later, Benson put Burnley in front when his dangerous right-wing cross, having just eluded team-mate Jay Rodriguez in the middle, was misjudged by Steffen and bounced in off the inside of the far post.

Burnley, on course for their sixth consecutive home win, then made if three goals in 12 minutes from Josh Brownhill’s 72nd-minute corner.

His excellent delivery sparked panic in the Boro defence with Jonny Howson flicking the ball into his own net as he attempted to clear.

There was late drama when, in the final minute of normal time, Boro were awarded a penalty and Connor Roberts shown a straight red card when the Burnley defender was judged to have punched Chuba Akpom’s header off the line after it had struck the crossbar.

But Akpom’s spot-kick was saved well by Muric, diving smartly low to his right, and Burnley could celebrate victory.

The explosive second half was in stark contrast to a cagey first period in which Johann Berg Gudmundsson missed the best chance to put Kompany’s side ahead when he chased an Ian Maatsen through ball after 24 minutes.

But the Icelandic winger’s first touch took him slightly wide and he was unable to beat Steffen from a difficult angle.

Benson also came close before the break, with his goalbound shot headed clear by Darragh Lenihan, with Steffen stranded after the Boro keeper had failed to deal with a Maatsen cross.

Moments before, Gudmundson’s cross had forced another error in the visitors’ defence, with Dael Fry steering the ball directly to Brownhill who could only shoot over from eight yards.

Middlesbrough, beaten just once in Carrick’s six games in charge before their visit to Turf Moor, made no such mistake when Watmore was offered his chance early in the second half.

And Boro appealed for a penalty soon after, following an apparent trip by Taylor Harwood-Bellis on Akpom, although referee David Webb was unmoved.