Kompany's Burnley secure Easter promotion back to Premier League
Defeated after scoring first in their last league fixture against Huddersfield and the reverse encounter against tonight’s opponents, Boro were hopeful of addressing a dangerous trait that has damaged their push to join the race for automatic promotion this campaign.
But it was rendered immaterial after just 12 minutes, when Ashley Barnes had prodded his side into the lead at the end of a swift attack, marginally beating the offside flag to divert Josh Brownhill’s initial shot beyond Zack Steffen from the centre of the goal.
His strike sent the away end into pandemonium, and the visitors remained well-drilled defensively, once again looking every inch a Kompany side and not allowing the hosts a single shot on target before HT.
There was also a gilt-edged opportunity for the division’s third-highest goalscorer, Nathan Tella, who stole the ball from the unsuspecting Darragh Lenihan, but fired wide of the left post one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Yet, despite Burnley’s dominance, there was still a slight undercurrent of fear that they would be crucified for Tella’s miss on a fervent Good Friday evening on Teesside.
Those fears became reality less than two minutes after the restart.
Putting pressure on Burnley’s box for the first time, Cameron Archer’s smart movement got the better of Josh Cullen and a tangle of legs resulted in a spot kick.
Arijanet Muric bested the division’s top goalscorer from the spot in the reverse fixture, but up stepped Chuba Akpom to make up for old mistakes, slotting an equaliser into the bottom-right corner from 12 yards.
This was the reaction Michael Carrick wanted to see, as his counterpart and one-time Manchester derby rival grimaced in the visiting dugout, but Burnley came back with a vengeance and continued to look like a side unbeaten in eight away games.
The parity lasted a mere 19 minutes, as the marauding Roberts restored the Clarets’ advantage, tapping in from Tella’s low cross to get the promotion party back on track.
Burnley held out with all due professionalism, confirming their third promotion in a decade, and giving Vincent Kompany’s first season in charge at Turf Moor the ultimate fairytale ending.
Sealing their promotion with a Championship-era record seven league rounds to spare, the Clarets' next port of call is to clinch the title, with the possible bonus of becoming the first Championship side in nine years to post triple figures in the points column.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
