Burnley 4-0 Huddersfield: Championship leaders cruise to victory at Turf Moor

Runaway leaders Burnley extended their Sky Bet Championship unbeaten run to 14 matches with an emphatic 4-0 victory over relegation-threatened Huddersfield.

Neil Warnock, who inspired the Terriers to victory over Birmingham a week ago after returning for a second spell as their manager, had no answer as the hosts were 3-0 up after 31 minutes.

Anass Zaroury crossed for Ashley Barnes to open the scoring, with Connor Roberts and Josh Brownhill adding further first-half goals, and substitute Michael Obafemi netting after the break.

Burnley completely dominated a first half in which they had 82 per cent possession, and could have scored more than three before the interval.

• Championship fixtures | table | highlights
• Get Sky Sports

Their first goal came with just six minutes gone, as Morocco winger Zaroury bent in a cross from the left and Barnes made a run across the front of the goalkeeper as the ball bounced into the far corner of the net.

Barnes almost scored with a flicked near-post header from a Johann Gudmundsson corner, but Nicholas Bilokapic patted the ball away.

Burnley's second, in the 18th minute, was well worked, albeit aided by Huddersfield slackness. Centre-back Hjalmar Ekdal strode forward unchallenged and slotted a pass through for Gudmundsson to round the goalkeeper, with Roberts cheekily racing in at the last moment to tap in and steal the goal.

The hosts extended their lead with just over 30 minutes gone, with Gudmundsson again providing the assist, this time with a through pass from the left for Brownhill to control and steer in from eight yards.

Ian Maatsen could have added a fourth before half-time, darting in behind Tom Lees to control a superb diagonal ball over the top from Ekdal, only to brush the outside of the post with his volley.

Huddersfield, with little more than pride to play for, did at least test Burnley after half-time, with goalkeeper Aro Muric reacting well to push over a rising angled drive from Danny Ward.

The only bad news for the hosts, during an otherwise straightforward afternoon, was a nasty-looking injury just before the hour mark to Maatsen, sustained as he slipped while chasing back with Huddersfield substitute Brahima Diarra. The Chelsea loanee was carried away on a stretcher.

Despite that setback, the hosts continued to create chances, adding a fourth goal as Roberts' pass down the right freed Nathan Tella to cut back from the right for Obafemi to sweep in his second goal since his January loan move from Swansea.

The managers

Burnley's Vincent Kompany:

"It was solid on all fronts. Look back on the game and we're sending 20,000 fans home happy and allowing people in Burnley to have a good Sunday. If you even go through the home games we've had this season, we've had many good performances. We created chances, we didn't score every one, so it can always be better.

"But we were threatening, and it links well with the fact we had a good performance in midweek at Millwall, where I think we had 19 shots and then today we had 22 shots. It links to the idea that if you keep creating chances, you do get the reward. I have a feeling of job not done yet for us. We are still number 21 in English football, and we have to get better."

Huddersfield's Neil Warnock:

"At half-time, they could easily have gone under. I said at half-time, look, we've got a great bunch of fans today, they're all disappointed like you are, but we can't be getting beaten five or six, we've got to stick at our tasks and show a bit of guts, and I thought we did. We gave them two early goals. I don't think Vincent Kompany gets enough credit for what they've done. He brought a lot of players in and changed the style.

"What I like about Burnley is that they know if they've got to battle, they've got to battle. That team could easily play in the Premier League now. It's very exciting for Burnley."

Win £250,000 with Super 6!

Another Saturday, another chance to win £250,000 with Super 6. Play for free, entries by 3pm.