Burnley 3-2 Bournemouth: Clarets register much-needed win

Burnley recorded a much-needed win by beating Bournemouth 3-2 at Turf Moor on Saturday to end a run of three straight Premier League defeats.

The Clarets raced into a two-goal lead thanks to early strikes from Jeff Hendrick's wonder goal and Stephen Ward, only for the visitors to pull one back just before the break through Benik Afobe.

However, George Boyd's 75th-minute strike gave the home side breathing space and it was needed after Charlie Daniels found the back of the net with a long-range effort in injury time at the end of the second half.

As a result, Burnley move up to 13th in the table, five points from safety, while the Cherries slip to 11th.

Burnley made four changes to the side that lost 2-0 at Stoke City last time out, with the likes of Tom Heaton, Steven Defour, Sam Vokes and Mathew Lowton all returning in place of Paul Robinson, Ashley Barnes, Andre Gray and Jon Flanagan.

Eddie Howe, on his return to Turf Moor, made three alterations to the team that came from behind to stun Liverpool late on at the Vitality Stadium last Sunday, with on-loan Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere dropping to the bench, while both Junior Stanilas and Josh King missed out through injury.

Bournemouth started the game passing the ball around nicely, with that morale-boosting 4-3 win against the Reds clearly still fresh in their minds, that is until Burnley took the lead totally out of the blue.

Michael Keane found Hendrick, but there appeared little danger, that is until the midfielder controlled the ball with one touch, before volleying it over a helpless Artur Boruc in Bournemouth's goal with his next.

And before the Cherries could even catch their breath, they found themselves 2-0 down, although on this occasion there was plenty they could have done to prevent the goal.

Defour swung a right-wing corner straight on to Ben Mee's head, although the defender's effort from near the penalty spot was lacking both the power and direction to really trouble Boruc.

The Poland goalkeeper, though, was unable to gather the ball cleanly, with Ward in the right place at the right time to tap home from virtually on the goal line for his first strike since January 2012.

However, Bournemouth responded well to falling two goals behind, as they also did against Liverpool last weekend, and crucially got themselves back into the contest in first-half stoppage time after a well-worked goal.

Ryan Fraser, who was man of the match against the Reds, found right-back Simon Francis charging down the wing, and his inch-perfect cross was converted by the unmarked Afobe from 10 yards out to hand the visitors a lifeline.

But in a cagey second half, it was the hosts who crucially got the next goal with 15 minutes to go after a gorgeous back heel from substitute Andre Gray released Boyd, with the Scotland midfielder doing well to beat Boruc with a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net from an acute angle.

Amazingly, that strike from Boyd meant Burnley have now scored more goals at Turf Moor this campaign than they managed in the whole of the season last time they were in the Premier League.

The home side, however, were still made to sweat at the death as first Afobe had a goal ruled out for handball in the last minute in what was a tight call by referee Martin Atkinson, before Daniels made it an anxious last few seconds after thumping home an unstoppable strike in the first of the four extra minutes added on at the end of the game.

Player ratings

Bournemouth: Heaton (7), Lowton (6), Mee (8), Keane (6), Ward (7), Arfield (6), Hendrick (9), Marney (6), Defour (6), Boyd (7), Vokes (6)

Used subs: Gray (7), Barnes (7), Tarkowski (6)

Bournemouth: Boruc (6), Francis (6), Steve Cook (6), Ake (6), Daniels (7), Adam Smith (6), Arter (6), Gosling (7), Fraser (7), Afobe (8), Callum Wilson (5)

Subs: Pugh (6), King (6), Wilshere (8)

Man of the Match: Jeff Hendrick