Burnley 3-0 Blackburn Rovers: Clarets win East Lancashire derby to return to top of Championship

Ashley Barnes’ goal was his first in the league at Turf Moor since February 2021

Burnley overwhelmed Blackburn Rovers with three second-half goals as Vincent Kompany’s Clarets returned to the top of the Championship in style.

Turf Moor favourite Ashley Barnes opened his Championship account for the season to score twice, either side of one from Belgian winger Anass Zaroury, as Rovers ended up on the wrong side of a local derby hammering.

In the first league meeting between the two old East Lancashire rivals in six-and-a-half years, it was goalless at half-time as the hosts took until just before the break to test visiting keeper Thomas Kaminski.

But Barnes broke the deadlock on 55 minutes, timing his run to meet Zaroury’s left-wing cross and power a header into the bottom right corner.

They then doubled their lead on 74 minutes when Barnes’ right-foot volley on the turn was well saved by Kaminski, the ball ran loose and Zaroury drilled in a low right-foot shot from the edge of the box – for his sixth goal of the season.

And Barnes, who had also scored in the 3-1 midweek Carabao Cup win over Crawley, wrapped up the scoring nine minutes from time.

More to follow.

Line-ups Burnley

Formation 4-2-3-1

49Muric

22da Silva5Harwood-Bellis36Beyer29Maatsen

24Cullen4Cork

17Manuel8Brownhill19Zaroury

10Barnes

Substitutes

Blackburn

Formation 3-5-2

1Kaminski

5Hyam4Ayala15Mola

19Hedges30Garrett6Morton27Travis2Brittain

9Gallagher22Brereton

Substitutes

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