Burnley 3-1 Middlesbrough: Manuel Benson scores twice as Clarets hit back to beat Boro

Manuel Benson scored twice, making up for an earlier costly error, as Vincent Kompany's leaders Burnley moved six points clear at the top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 3-1 win over Middlesbrough.

The 25-year-old winger was on the mark twice in seven second-half minutes, having gifted Michael Carrick's visitors the opening goal of the game just after half-time at Turf Moor.

That Boro goal, scored by Duncan Watmore just three minutes after his introduction as substitute, came as Benson attempted to keep a loose ball in play on the halfway line.

He succeeded only in hooking the ball blindly back towards his own goal, allowing Watmore to race through and convert an excellent near-post finish past the diving Arijanet Muric.

But, on the hour, Benson made amends for his mistake when he controlled a long pass from Jordan Beyer on his chest and drove inside from the right touchline.

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The Belgian cut past full-back Ryan Giles in devastating fashion before scoring the equaliser with a low, left-footed drive past Zack Steffen.

Just seven minutes later, Benson put Burnley in front when his dangerous right-wing cross, having just eluded team-mate Jay Rodriguez in the middle, was misjudged by Steffen and bounced in off the inside of the far post.

Burnley, on course for their sixth consecutive home win, then made if three goals in 12 minutes from Josh Brownhill's 72nd-minute corner.

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His excellent delivery sparked panic in the Boro defence with Jonny Howson flicking the ball into his own net as he attempted to clear.

There was late drama when, in the final minute of normal time, Boro were awarded a penalty and Connor Roberts shown a straight red card when the Burnley defender was judged to have punched Chuba Akpom's header off the line after it had struck the crossbar.

But Akpom's spot-kick was saved well by Muric, diving smartly low to his right, and Burnley could celebrate victory.

The explosive second half was in stark contrast to a cagey first period in which Johann Berg Gudmundsson missed the best chance to put Kompany's side ahead when he chased an Ian Maatsen through ball after 24 minutes.

But the Icelandic winger's first touch took him slightly wide and he was unable to beat Steffen from a difficult angle.

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Benson also came close before the break, with his goalbound shot headed clear by Darragh Lenihan, with Steffen stranded after the Boro keeper had failed to deal with a Maatsen cross.

Moments before, Gudmundson's cross had forced another error in the visitors' defence, with Dael Fry steering the ball directly to Brownhill who could only shoot over from eight yards.

Middlesbrough, beaten just once in Carrick's six games in charge before their visit to Turf Moor, made no such mistake when Watmore was offered his chance early in the second half.

And Boro appealed for a penalty soon after, following an apparent trip by Taylor Harwood-Bellis on Akpom, although referee David Webb was unmoved.

What the managers said...

Burnley's Vincent Kompany: "I liked [Benson's] reaction. You could see on his face after the mistake. He put his hand up and the next ball he received and drove at someone. I think we're still finding out about each other, I've only worked with him for four months, but I saw him put his hand up and he got his reward.

"He has played at some big clubs in Belgium and he has had to handle pressure and come through that and he did that today. This was a reference point for him. He can now say, this is what happened to me and this is how I reacted, so there is no reason he can't do it again if he makes a mistake."

Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick: "For me, if you are goal-side of the ball, protecting it like you're told to as a kid, and there is contact and you both fall over then I don't see how you can't give a free-kick or penalty. That's football. I was told there was minimal contact but, for me, I don't understand how that is not a penalty. It's a big moment in the game. A lot went on after that and, yes, we missed a late penalty but 2-0 would have been a very different game to 1-0.

"We're frustrated and disappointed. We have to be calm about it. We spoke before the game and said this game was never going to make or break our season. I feel we are a better team than we were five, six, seven games ago and maybe that's why we feel disappointed not getting anything from here."

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