Report and free match highlights as Patrick Bamford moves two away from 100 league goals with late equaliser to rescue point for Leeds at Burnley; Chris Wood also two away from 50 Premier League goals after netting opener at Turf Moor
Monday 30 August 2021 06:05, UK
Patrick Bamford denied Burnley a first home win since February with his late poacher's effort earning Leeds a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.
Leeds had been happy enough to go toe-to-toe with the Clarets' attritional style before Burnley's pressure finally told on the hour mark for the opener, when Chris Wood's glancing touch on Matt Lowton's shot from a corner deceived Illan Meslier.
It looked like Leeds would live to regret Raphinha's wasteful miss before half-time as Burnley began to believe their run of 11 Premier League home games without a win would finally be ended, until Bamford turned home Jamie Shackleton's effort from four yards with five minutes remaining.
"That's where you want your strikers to be, in between the posts, and he got his rewards for it," former Leeds forward Robbie Keane told Sky Sports after full-time.
The point apiece means both Burnley and Leeds are still hunting for their first win of the campaign with three games gone but does at least move Sean Dyche's side out of the bottom three for the first time this season.
Games between teams low on confidence often lack aesthetics, and an attritional encounter suited Burnley's style perfectly in their aim to end a six-month home winless streak.
After a fast Leeds start saw Raphinha and Bamford pass up opportunities, the home side clicked into gear and controlled the physical battle which followed with ease.
Their one issue was in the final third where Leeds' back three dealt with Burnley's aerial bombardment comfortably, and in a rare but high-quality break the visitors nearly led as Raphinha robbed Charlie Taylor before firing wide from a good position.
Leeds' forwards looked the more likely to break the deadlock and Bamford came close in injury time, albeit against his current employers, when his glancing header from Ashley Westwood's corner rebounded off the foot of his own post and away to safety.
By half-time the sides had yet to rack up a single shot on target but had registered four bookings, including Ashley Barnes' nasty slide on Stuart Dallas which could have easily seen red.
Marcelo Bielsa's side had lacked tempo and intent in their build-up, and little changed after half-time. Dwight McNeil and Josh Brownhill both came within inches of finding a way through as the hosts turned the screw.
Leeds finally gave in on the hour from Burnley's fifth corner kick, allowing James Tarkowski to head against the woodwork before Lowton's shot took a glancing touch off Wood from close-range and opened the scoring with Meslier off-balance.
Leeds finally upped their intensity without troubling Nick Pope, and rarely looked like causing Burnley any serious concern until one moment of poor defending proved pivotal.
Substitute Shackleton was given space to shoot from the edge of the area but it was Bamford, peeling off at the back post, who showed his poacher's instinct to level with Pope stranded, and extend Burnley's unhappy spell at Turf Moor for at least another three weeks.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche: "I'm not overly disappointed, our overall performance was decent. Leeds are a tricky side to play against.
"Our energy was good, our shape was really good, we took the pace and fire out of their game in spells, which is important.
"It's just the goal, that's where we are at the moment - Taylor gets tripped, Mee gets a deflection on it, and it's a goal.
"I thought it was how football should be played. I've been talking about it for years, it's nice to see people just giving everything to win a game."
Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa: "Apart from two segments in the middle of each half, we were able to manage the game.
"They had three resources that were important - the capacity to force errors and take advantage of them through their two centre-forwards, the management of the set-pieces and they have a very distinct style of play. The style of play, it doesn't demand that their players shine, this is something of value when you're describing a team."
Both teams are back on Sky Sports after the international break. Burnley travel to Everton, hoping to end their bright start, on Monday Night Football on September 13, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm; Kick-off at 8pm.
Leeds are in action a day earlier, hosting Liverpool at Elland Road on Super Sunday on September 12, also live on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm; Kick-off at 4.30pm.
