JAY RODRIGUEZ broke Watford hearts with a brilliant finish to keep Nigel Pearson’s team looking anxiously over their shoulders at the drop zone.
The Hornets were giving Burnley a proper working over in the second half until one moment of quality gave the home team all three points.
Burnley snatched a 1-0 win over Watford to leave the Hornets in deep trouble
Jay Rodriguez scored a brilliant goal to give Burnley all three points
Josh Brownhill won the ball near halfway and threaded a next pass into the path of the charging Dwight McNeill.
The winger’s curling cross cried out for a forward to provide the killer touch, and Rodriguez obliged with a superb glancing header that gave ben Foster no chance.
That 73rd-minute strike seemed to knock the stuffing out of Watford, after they had looked far more likely to provide a breakthrough.
If they were not already safe – with 39 points in the bag before this – Sean Dyche’s team can surely look forward to yet another season in the top flight now.
And maybe even a push for a second European campaign in the space of three years.
Watford also started brightly, clearly buoyed by that late, late Craig Dawson equaliser that earned them a priceless point at Leicester last weekend.
And it was the Hornets central defender who provided the first attempt on goal here – not from another overhead kick, but with a thumping header after he was left unmarked to meet Will Hughes’ free kick at the far post.
Fortunately for Burnley the ball flew straight at Nick Pope, and the home team used that escape as a wake up call, launching an early attack of their own that almost led to Rodriguez opening the scoring after just ten minutes.
His early shot seemed to catch Ben Foster by surprise.
The Watford stopper only just got down time to claw the ball away, before leaping back to his feet in time to prevent Matej Vydra snapping up the rebound.
Roriguez was then guilty of rushing forward a moment too soon as Matthew Lowton whipped in a great cross.
The striker’s diving header flew past Foster, but was rightly chalked off for offside.
Danny Welbeck could not dig the ball out from between his legs at the other end after Ismalia Sarr burst forward, but Burnley could not believe they failed to score midway through the half.
Vydra sized the situation up in a flash as he chased a ball over the top, spotting Foster way off his line, and the Czech striker sent a high lob sailing over the keeper’s head.
It looked in all the way, only to crash against the foot of the far post.
Rodrguez smashed the rebound goalwards, but Dawson stretched out a leg to clear it off the line, and Josh Brownhill sent a third attempt flashing across the face of goal.
That should have been the signal for a sustained onslaught by the Clarets.
Players took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before kick-off
Burnley displayed Black Lives Matter banners from fans after Monday night’s shocking incident
But they failed to trouble the nervous-looking Foster for the rest of the first half, and were relieved when another Dawson header flew narrowly over the bar.
Burnley would have been encouraged by the fact it was also goal-less at half time when they romped to a 3-0 win at Vicarage Road earlier in the season.
But it was all Watford at the start of the second half.
Hughes fired a meaty shot wide and the home team were lucky Ben Mee got there first when substitute Abdoulaye Doucoure lashed in a dangerous cross.
Pope was even more relieved when Lowton threw himself in front of a shot from another Watford sub, Craig Cathcart, after the Burnley keeper spilled the ball close to his line.
James Tarkowski was next to the rescue after Welbeck was put through on goal by a clever flick from Troy Deeney.
Clarets boss Sean Dyche was becoming increasingly animated on the touchline as his team found themselves under siege.
Watford were so close to the goal they deserved as Deeney’s powerful header hurtled towards the net. But McNeil was well placed from the corner, and cleared off the line with his knee.
And he was seen to good effect at the other end of the pitch as Burnley bounced back from their 5-0 mauling at Manchester City on Monday in typically gritty fashion.
Burnley’s Ben Mee responds to an offensive banner flown over the Etihad Stadium
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
