Last Home Game in Championship Ends in Win

Newly promoted Burnley played their last home game of the season on Saturday beating play-offs chasing Ipswich 1-0. Next season we will be seeing the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal at the Turf following our confirmed automatic promotion to the top flight after defeating Wigan Athletic 2-0 at home on Easter Monday. Burney fans may have been worried that the Clarets may have taken their foot off the accelerator after five days of celebration in a game with nothing at stake for the hosts but they stuck to the task to notch up yet another win. Those three points took the Clarets to a record 92 points for the season with just one match now remaining. The game was covered live by Sky Sports and to be honest it was not a classic for any neutral fans watching. You would have thought Mick McCarthy`s men still in with a chance of a play-offs spot would have put up more of a fight but they were easily contained by the Clarets keeper and backline with few scares throughout the game. Few chances were created by either side but Burnley got their heads down and fought hard with no indication they were not up for it! The deciding goal came in the 54th minute from Michael Kightly who co-incidentally played for Mick McCarthy whilst the pair were at Wolves. He rolled the ball into an open net after Blues keeper Dean Gerken had denied Danny Ings. The result ended any hope of Ipswich reaching the play-offs and ensured our runners-up presentation at the end would not be marred for the home fans. This remarkable and fantastic season will come to an end next Saturday when we travel to the Madejski Stadium to play the Royals. Reading, currently in fifth spot are another side battling for a play-offs place and they will be desperate to pick up all three points. Can we finish the season on a high and notch up a final tally of 95 points? It would be good to leave the Championship with a victory before starting to plot or survival in the top flight next season.

Team Sheet

There were no new fresh injury concerns for Sean Dyche with only Sam Vokes currently on the treatment bench. The gaffer opted for the same eighteen yet again for the fourth game running which meant we lined up as follows:

Heaton, Tripper, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Kightly, Marney, Jones, Arfield, Barnes, Ings

Subs: Cisak, Long, Baird, Edgar, Treacy, Wallace, Stanislas

Full Match Report

Burnley lined-up for this one wearing special replica shirts commemorating the 100th anniversary of the FA Cup triumph at the Crystal Palace Grounds against Liverpool back on April 25, 1914 and very natty they looked to! Isle of Wight referee James Linington got the match underway and it took only 60 seconds for Burnley to make a statement of intent. Danny Ings linked up well with Scott Arfield inside the box but the former Hiuddersfield winger`s shot took a deflection and went behind for a corner. The first attempt from the visitors came in the ninth minute from Daryl Murphy but Ben Mee did well to block the shot. Trippier then found Ings who shaking off the attentions of Christophe Berra knocked the ball down towards his strike partner, Ashley Barnes. Barnes though was just inches away from making contact and scoring from close range. A weak effort from Jonathan Williams did not give Heaton any problem. Trippier in the 20th minute launched a ball over the top to find Barnes who controlled the ball well in the visitor`s penalty area before a latch ditch effort from Ipswich cleared the danger. An Ipswich free kick seven minutes later found Tommy Smith and his header looked to be on target until Trippier virtually on the goal line cleared the ball. Arfield at the other end just failed to latch onto a cross into the box from Kightly and with the first half now entering the 30th minute both sides were finding it hard to break the stalemate. Barnes could not find the back of the net with a shot on target and somehow the match just failed to ignite with the break now fast approaching. Ipswich thought they had found a way of spoiling the promotion party when Murphy played a one-two with Williams before crossing the ball right across the face of goal to find Fraser Richardson at the far post. Thankfully though the winger just couldn`t make the right connection and the danger passed. The final action of the half saw Ings on the left side of the penalty area cut in to unleash a shot that some folk thought had found the back of the net. But it was the side netting and both sides in the end had to be content with a goalless first half.

Neither side made any changes for the start of the second half. Ipswich needed to win this game to stand any realistic chance of reaching the play-offs but they would need to up the ante against a resilient Burnley side in the next 45 minutes to achieve it. The Blues must have thought they had got their noses in front when a shot from Williams just outside the box looked to be on target before Trippier got his body in the way to deny the visitors. A few moments later though and the hosts finally broke the stalemate. Ings combining well with Barnes charged into the penalty area to unleash a left footed shot with only the keeper to beat. Dean Gerken though managed to smother the ball but it fell nicely to Kightly for a simple tap in to notch up his third goal in as many games. Burnley`s advantage was nearly doubled when Ings was just wide after his left footed shot on the hour mark whizzed past the post. Dyche decided to freshen things up shortly after bringing on Stanislas in the 63rd minute to make his 100th appearance for the club. He replaced Kightly. More fresh legs came on in the 71st minute with a change made this time on the opposite flank; Wallace coming on to replace Arfield. Ings has struggled to find the back of the net since returning from injury but he came so close after latching only a Marney cross that flew across the face of goal. This time though the crossbar got in the way. Heaton then made a superb save at the other end to deny Paul Taylor from a free-kick. Noublé moments later then saw his well-taken shot just miss the target. In the end tough it was a comfortable win for the Clarets and following the final whistle Burnley fans could once again celebrate after seeing their team presented with the Sky Bet Championship Runners-Up Cup and their medals. A lap of honour followed bringing to an end our home campaign this season in triumphant style.

Match Stats

Burnley: Heaton, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Kightly (Stanislas – 63), Marney, Jones, Arfield (Wallace – 71) Ings (Treacy – 93), Barnes

Subs Not Used: Cisak, Long, Edgar, Baird

Goal: Kightly 54

Booked: 0

Ipswich Town: Gerken, Chambers, Cresswell, Richardson (Taylor – 65), Berra, Smith, Green, Skuse, Murphy, Williams, Hunt (Nouble – 66)

Subs Not Used: Loach, Mings, Tabb, Veseli, Marriott

Booked: Yellow Cards for Smith (25) and Williams (81)

Possession: 51% Burnley, 49% Ipswich (Source: BBC Sport)

Ref: James Linington (Newport, Isle of Wight)