Burnley Snatch Late Point To Keep It Tight At The Top

Burnley    1        Middlesbrough    1   

                           Keane 90+2                   Rhodes 70

Burnley scored a last minute equaliser to stay in touch with leaders Middlesbrough at the top of the Championship.

Boro led by a goal to nil in the top of the table encounter at Turf Moor following Jordan Rhodes’ opener twenty minutes from time.

Yet the hosts snatched a late point through defender Michael Keane to keep the gap at the top down to just two points with three games to go.

With the top two drawing, Brighton were the real winners of the night after they thrashed QPR 4-0 to move level with Burnley on 84 points.

Chris Hughton’s side still have to travel to Middlesbrough on the final day of the season in what could be a winner takes all clash.

Boro came closest to opening the scoring in this meeting, when Stewart Downing’s corner fell to Albert Adomah on the edge of the box but his effort clipped the top of the cross bar.

Burnley responded as Joey Barton flashed a shot wide but it wasn’t until the second half when the deadlock was finally broken.

Downing’s free kick wasn’t cleared by the Burnley defence, allowing Rhodes to cleverly dink the ball over keeper Tom Heaton from inside the area.

The hosts pushed for an equaliser as George Boyd’s shot was blocked on the line by Richie De Laet, before substitute Ashley Barnes was also denied.

Eventually it came when Keane bundled home Matthew Taylor in-swinging corner to rescue a point.