Burnley News Today: A brilliant strike from Manuel Benson sealed the Championship triumph for Burnely as they defeated Blackburn Rovers
Burnley won the Championship after a thrilling second-half goal from Manuel Benson earned the victory in a well contested derby against Blackburn, giving Vincent Kompany his first trophy as manager and leaving him overjoyed. Burnley’s boisterous supporters at Ewood Park encouraged the Clarets to victory despite being the underdogs for the whole of the game. Burnley hung on late to win the championship with two games remaining thanks to Benson’s left-footed goal from the right side of the field.
Blackburn’s attempt to gain promotion to the top division suffered a severe setback as a result since they lost the opportunity to move up to fifth place in the rankings. Burnley had a promising start, but Blackburn quickly flipped the script and produced plenty of scoring opportunities, with Szmodics nearly scoring early in the second half. As tempers boiled, Jack Cork was fortunate to just receive a warning for a reckless foul on Tyrhys Dolan.
Benson’s goal on the 66th minute, nevertheless, turned out to be the game’s turning point as Burnley held on despite heavy pressure from Blackburn in the dying minutes. At the end of the game, the opposition’s supporters erupted in jubilation, and Kompany ran onto the pitch to embrace his men.
With victories over Bristol City and Cardiff in their next two games, Burnley will break the 100-point milestone for the season. But with their manager rumoured to be leaving the team next season, the fans face an uncertain summer. Despite the rumours, Kompany has been quiet about his future objectives.
Asked what it means to win the title, Kompany told Sky Sports: “I’m happy. I’m really happy. I’m so proud of the guys, for those who don’t know what it’s like in this part of the world, this (playing Blackburn) is a massive game. There couldn’t be a better game for us to win the league. It will be talked about for generations.”
On the post-match celebrations, he added: “I still have a few sprints in me left. I enjoyed it, the season is already intense and this is game 44 for us as well as the cups. It gets to the point where we’re guiding them (the players) but we’re also proud of them.”
Despite the win, there were some altercations between two players
Following the final whistle, a violent brawl between the players soured Burnley’s celebrations. Blackburn players responded aggressively at captain Jack Cork, tugging him violently and starting a scuffle as the Burnley players made their way towards their exuberant away supporters.
The altercation immediately got out of hand, with coaches and players from both sides joining in. Cork was caught in the middle of the melee with Blackburn coach Craig Bellamy’s hands around the midfielder’s neck. Vincent Kompany had to step in and remove Cork from the situation.
In the midst of the brawl, Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was also involved as the two teams’ animosity for one another was evidently at an all-time high. What should have been a historic night for Burnley was overshadowed by the incident, and it is unclear whether any further action will be taken against those responsible.
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