Monday 20 April 2020 09:24, UK
Burnely sealed their return to the Premier League as Sky Bet Championship title winners following a 3-0 victory against Charlton on Saturday afternoon.
Sam Vokes scored in a first half that saw some good work for the already-relegated Addicks, but George Boyd and Andre Gray struck quickly in the second period to see the Clarets promoted as champions.
Burnley ultimately saw the game out with ease, and end the season with 93 points and were joined by Middlesbrough in the top flight after their drew 1-1 with Brighton.
Charlton end the season heading down to League One, but do so in 22nd spot after MK Dons' final day loss to Nottingham Forest.
There was little to choose between the sides in the first half and it was Charlton who started the stronger with Callum Harriott seeing his shot blocked before attempting to cross for Igor Vetokele, but Stephen Ward was there to clear the danger ahead of Ademola Lookman.
Burnley's first chance of the half came not long after, as Matt Lowton cut in from the right, before he playing in Scott Arfield in the box who took one touch to put the ball into the path Vokes, but the Wales international saw his shot flash wide.
It was Vokes who found the breakthrough on the 20-minute mark. In a sublime team goal, Dean Marney found Ward on the left and after some play between George Boyd and Scott Arfield, the ball found Ward again who crossed to the striker at the back post and he slotted home under Nick Pope.
But it was all Charlton from then on as Tom Heaton was called into action to keep the Clarets on course for the title, saving from Johann Berg Gudmundsson 20 yards effort before a swift Addicks counter-attack saw an unmarked Harriott forcing the England goalkeeper into a save.
But after a stern half-time talk from Sean Dyche, Burnley added two goals in the space of a few minutes at the start of the second half.
In a similar story to the first, Matt Lowton's cross from the left evaded the heads of Gray and Vokes to find an unmarked Boyd at the back post, before Gray also got in on the act two minutes later as he slotted home from a long ball from the Burnley half.
The Clarets looked comfortable from then on with few chances for either side, although Vetokele went close just after the hour-mark with an inconspicuous hit from distance that just flashed across the face of an open goal as Heaton had already gone down for the save.
The final 15 minutes were marred by flares on the pitch from Charlton fans, but the Addicks could have nicked a late one as Heaton was forced to tip an effort from Fox over the bar before El-Hadji Ba saw a good hit put behind by Barton.
But ultimately, Burnley saw the game out with ease to be crowned Sky Bet Championship-title winners.
