CHRIS WOOD became the first player to score a first-half away Premier League hat-trick since Michael Owen in 1998.
The Kiwi striker resembled a one-man wrecking-ball as he smashed Wolves’ feeble opposition aside in 45 blistering minutes to virtually secure safety for Sean Dyche’s men.
The 29-year-old became the first player to bag a Premier League hat-trick since Michael Owen achieved the feat for Liverpool against Newcastle in 1998.
He also ended an unforgettable day as the Clarets top Premier League goalscorer of all time after netting only the second hat-trick Burnley have scored at this level – after Andre Gray achieved the feat against Sunderland in December 2016.
Wood became the first New Zealander to hit a Prem hat-trick – the 46th nation to be represented by a hat-trick hero!
Most importantly, the win took Burnley nine points clear of Fulham who now look doomed.
To cap a wonder performance Wood then set up Ashley Westwood to power home from 18 yards five minutes from time to seal the Clarets biggest ever away win in the Premier League.
Wolves will look back on an afternoon when they shamed the shirts with a well-below par display.
The teams took to the field unaware of a drama at the VAR centre at Stockley Park where a fire alarm had gone off.
Unfortunately for many traditionalists, normal service was restored in time for kick-off.
However there was no truth in the rumour that police, hunting for a rogue arsonist, had whittled down their list to 10 million potential suspects!
Meanwhile on the park, Wolves had their fingers badly burned as Wood caught fire!
The Kiwi striker polished off Nuno’s team before heading in for his half-time cuppa as he exposed a shambolic Wolves side who clearly had their minds on the beach.
Willy Boly started the malaise when he misjudged an attempted nod back to Rui Patricio and Matej Vydra burst clear.
On this occasion the French defender recovered brilliantly sprinting back to make an inch-perfect recovery tackle.
Perhaps he was still patting himself on the back for that let-off because seconds later he was guilty of slackness again.
Wood started his one-man demolition job after quarter of an hour thanks to a little help from his dozy foes.
Matt Lowton pinged a forward pass into the right channel and Boly missed a bread and butter header to cut out the danger.
Wood pounced on the ball, turned Conor Coady inside out with a couple of shimmies in the box, then drilled a low shot into the far corner.
It was a stunning piece of skill from a striker who is too often written off as simply as an aerial threat – but Chris soon proved he is anything but a lump of Wood!
He had the matchball in the bag by half-time as he plundered another couple of goals.
Six minutes later he was in the right place at the right time to cash-in as Wolves imploded.
Adama Traore, under pressure, played an ill-judged pass back to Nelson Semedo who was on his heels.
Good teammates can get their pals out of trouble by goin gthe extra mile. Semedo didn’t move a muscle for his teammate.
He stood like a statue, waiting for the ball to arrive at his feet instead of going to meet it.
That’s exactly what Dwight McNeil did to ‘sack’ the skiving Wolves defender before rolling the ball across the face of the Wolves six yard box where Wood was waiting to tap home.
It was criminal defending by the home side, not that Burnley or Wood were worried!
The Clarets were running riot.
James Tarkowski headed narrowly wide at the back post following a corner, then Vydra volleyed a Charlie Taylor cross over at full stretch with the goal at his mercy.
The Czech striker then made a mug of Wolves defnce again as he sprinted away from them from the halfway line and cut inside Semedo before Patricio stopped him in his tracks with a block.
Wolves finally showed some fighting spirit following a flashpoint moment just before half-time.
Daniel Podence did a fair impression of Superman as he went soaring at a corner, looking for a penalty for an alleged push.
Tarkowski fruiously tried to pull him to his feet and Wolves players piled in as an unseemly melee kicked off.
Adama Traore risked a red card when he landed one on Jack Cork’s face but ref Darren England – following advice from VAR Michael Oliver – decided Traore had pushed Cork’s chin with an open hand.
He dished out yellow cards to Tarkowski and Traore – Wood dished out his own form of punishment by completing his hat-trick.
Dwight McNeil swung over a corner and Wood swatted Willian Jose aside to power his header home to bag his first Premier League hat-trick.
If Nuno gave his players an ear-bashing at the break they weren’t listening because they were a fraction away from conceding a fourth within four minutes of the restart.
Vydra sprinted on to a Lowton pass and rounded Patricio to score. Assistant ref Nick Hopton kept his flag down but Wolves received a let-off when VAR spotted Vydra’s toe had crept beyond the dreaded coloured line.
But Burnley weren’t in the mood to sit back and added a fourth through Westwood – courtesy of an assist from Wood, of course!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
