Burnley’s title party on hold after Chris Martin hits late winner for QPR

Posted Sunday, April 23, 2023 by PA

Vincent Kompany’s Burnley must wait to be crowned champions after a stunning late goal from QPR substitute Chris Martin inflicted a first home defeat of the season on the Premier League-bound Clarets.

The veteran forward had only been on the field for three minutes when Ilias Chair forced a corner with a shot that was well saved by Arijanet Muric.

Burnley failed to clear the resulting set-piece and Jamal Lowe was allowed space to attack from the left and cross for Martin to head in from six yards and seal the 2-1 victory.

After a run of just two points from the previous 21 available, Gareth Ainsworth’s side were hardly expected to worry a team who secured promotion earlier this month.

But Rangers stunned Turf Moor on 58 minutes when they took the lead through skipper Sam Field, just reward for their committed display under intense pressure.

The goal owed much to poor defending from the home side, who failed to deal with a routine long throw from Ethan Laird.

Having allowed the ball to bounce, Burnley were punished when Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s half clearance was met by the unmarked Field who scored with an impressive volley from just inside the area.

Burnley thought they had at least salvaged a point, on 76 minutes, when Manuel Benson collected a pass on the right wing, cut into the area and curled an unstoppable finish into the far corner of the visitors’ goal.

But, seeking the three points they needed to be certain of the Championship title, Burnley should have buried QPR under an avalanche of first-half goals.

Kompany’s team missed three glorious chances in a couple of seconds, in an extraordinary ninth-minute incident.

Benson headed Anass Zaroury’s cross against the bar, Ashley Barnes’ shot from the rebound was blocked by the keeper and Benson, again, shot only for Rob Dickie to clear off the line.

The same Rangers defender had headed off his line from an Ian Maatsen shot after just six minutes.

And that set the tone for numerous Burnley chances with Barnes heading over from one good opening and Harwood-Bellis missing from six yards as he connected with a Josh Brownhill cross.

For the visitors, with just one win from their last 20 league games, resistance was impressive in the first half, although the shock of going behind clearly unsettled the hosts.

Harwood-Bellis was booked for a foul on Sinclair Armstrong, as the substitute broke upfield, with the QPR bench appealing for him to be sent off.

Kompany used his bench to try and find a way back but substitute Jay Rodriguez followed his team-mates’ examples by heading straight at Seny Dieng from Benson’s 73rd-minute cross.