Source: Telegraph
Sunderland 2 Burnley 1: match report
The Premier League adventure appears to be almost over for Burnley but they clearly will not be going down without a fight judging by their efforts during this potentially critical defeat against Sunderland. [LNB]Brian Laws team may have failed to secure the three points they crave for top-flight survive after falling behind to first-half goals from Fraizer Campbell and Darren Bent but a late goal from Steven Thompson showed Burnley will not be going quietly. [LNB] Related ArticlesPremier League actionBent refuses to dwell on EnglandPremier League tablePremier League fixturesSport on televisionFootball League ups and downsLess than a year after Burnley were promoted from the Championship, the Clarets' Premier League days are numbered with second-bottom Lancashire club now a daunting four points adrift of safety with Liverpool and Tottenham due to visit Turf Moor either side of a visit to Birmingham. [LNB]It was a case of too little too late for Burnley on Wearside but at least Laws' team will be able to say farewell to Sunderland and probably to the Premier League with their heads held high. [LNB]Laws was forced to make one change to the side that beat Hull 4-1 and brought in Chris Eagles in place of David Nugent who was sidelined with a hamstring injury. [LNB]Laws' team looked lively in attack but lived dangerously at the back and were indebted to goalkeeper Brian Jensen in the 20th minute when he pulled off a brilliant one-handed save to push away John Mensah's header following Jordan Henderson's corner. [LNB]Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones then rattled a post from close range as the pressure on the Burnley goal was intensified. [LNB]Their luck ran out, though, in the 25th minute as Campbell finished off an excellent move initiated by Kieran Richardson that saw Darren Bent feed the over-lapping Alan Hutton whose low cross was flicked in by the former Manchester United forward after he outpaced Leon Cort. [LNB]Burnley's worries should have deepened ten minutes later but England World Cup hopeful Bent wasted a glorious chance when he headed Hutton's excellent cross two yards wide. [LNB]Bent was presented with an even easier chance in the 40th minute and this time there was no way he could fluff the chance to score his 24th goal this season as he side-footed the ball past Jensen after Campbell's nodded Henderson's deft through-ball across the goalmouth. [LNB]Laws sent on Steven Thompson in place of Martin Paterson at half-time in an effort to invigorate his team and it almost paid dividends and the substitute had an immediate impact, creating a half-chance for Eagles who mistimed an awkward header. [LNB]Burnley skipper Graham Alexander did his best to inspire a comeback and threatened to reduce following Craig Gordon's weak punch but his shot from distance was arrowed straight at the Scotland international. [LNB]Bent should have put Sunderland out of sight late on but miskicked with just Jensen to beat. [LNB]Laws sent on Robbie Blake and this time his substitute did have an immediate impact as he picked out Thompson with a clever pass and the Scot thumped a low shot past Gordon in the 82nd to give Burnley hope. [LNB]It set up a nerve-jangling finale as Burnley raised their game but they were unable to find the equaliser [LNB]
