The Championship Trophy is bound for Turf Moor...
Published 08.05.2016 at 08.25.
A 3-0 victory at the home of Charlton Athletic for Sean Dyche’s Clarets means the SKY Bet Championship Winners’ Trophy is heading up the M6 to Turf Moor.
Photo Source: Burnley Football Club.
Middlesbrough could only manage a 1-1draw which was enough to see the Riverside outfit secure the remaining automatic promotion vacancy on goal difference from Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion.
Sam Vokes has seemingly recreated the prolific Vokes/Ings partnership with Burnley’s record signing Andre Gray. It was Vokes who tapped in Burnley’s opener following good work from Stephen Ward on the left flank which tore open the Addick’s rearguard.
Burnley then seemed to rest on their laurels in the glorious South East sunshine. Red Robins were throwing just about every object known to man on to the field of play to protest about the ownership of the club.
The Charlton players already relegated started to play with a freedom that unsettled the Clarets. Heaton in the Burnley goal has already had more clean sheets than your local launderette managed to keep the Addicks at bay.
Burnley have now gone 23 games undefeated since the 3-0 reverse at Hull on Boxing Day. The inspirational Sean Dyche who is not known for tameness was clearly unhappy with his side’s first half performance. It was not so much a hair dryer that was going off in the visitor’s dressing room at half time, more a case of a high octane rocket launcher.
The Clarets responded to Dyche’s rocket immediately after the resumption. Boyd and Gray buzzing, Barton cajoling, the impressive Ward broke forward again, his cross flicked on by Gray to an unmarked Boyd, who simply smashed the ball past a helpless Pope. Divine intervention would not stop the Clarets now.
Gray broke free and looked to have lost control of the ball but his blistering pace got him back in stride and his shot went through the legs of the hapless Pope. For all intents and purposes the Championship Title was wrapped up inside 50 minutes for the Clarets.
Dyche replaced Vokes with Barnes on the hour to rapturous applause from the Burnley fans. Barnes immediately had three kicks, one at the ball, two at a Charlton player earning himself an early yellow card. Perhaps Mourinho had some validity in his assessment of Burnley’s Ashley Barnes? Only joking with you Ash!
Blistering pace was added again as Arfield exited and Lloyd Dyer came on in a rare cameo moment. A final “Swan song” for Burnley legend Michael Duff perhaps, who came on for Michael Keane, took the captain’s armband, missed a header to make it four and then started to enjoy the final whistle party.
Burnley are thoroughly deserved winners of the Championship, their first League title since 1973. The bookies have slashed their odds on emulating Leicester City. Who is brave enough to take on Sean Dyche? He does not do hair dryers! (TEC).