Burnley 3-2 Rotherham United: Leaders score twice late on to move five points clear at top
Burnley #Burnley
Halil Dervisoglu struck 10 minutes into added time to snatch victory for the Clarets
Championship leaders Burnley scored twice in stoppage time – including a 100th-minute winner – as they came from behind to beat 10-man Rotherham and extend their unbeaten run to 16 league matches.
Manuel Benson curled home a wonderful equaliser before Halil Dervisoglu slotted home a rebound 10 minutes into 13 added on at Turf Moor.
Ben Wiles had nodded the Millers into a shock early lead, only for Jay Rodriguez’s close-range header, his ninth goal of the season, to bring Burnley level.
Rotherham substitute Chiedozie Ogbene restored the visitors’ lead midway through the second half but Cohen Bramall was sent off for two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes.
Benson’s sublime strike put the Clarets back on level terms and the Belgian substitute also played a big part in the winner from on-loan Brentford forward Dervisoglu.
The winger’s fine run and pass teed up Josh Brownhill and although his shot was saved by Viktor Johansson, Dervisoglu was on hand to tuck home and move Burnley five points clear at the top of the Championship.
Victory was Burnley’s sixth in their past seven matches – and their fourth successive win at home – but Vincent Kompany’s side are not doing things the easy way despite their lofty position.
This was the second game in a row where they needed a stoppage-time winner, having beaten Reading 2-1 on Saturday. They also needed a late goal to account for Norwich in their previous game, which followed a comeback from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at Sunderland.
But with entertainment high on the menu and a healthy gap opening up to a number of challengers who seem unable to put consistent runs together, hopes of an immediate return to the Premier League are growing under their new manager.
Rotherham, meanwhile, will consider themselves unfortunate to come away empty-handed from a rollercoaster encounter in which they played a full part until Bramall’s carelessness cost them.
Ben Wiles gave the Millers an early lead, but they could not hold on with 10 men
They were on the defensive for long spells once Wiles stooped to head home Brooke Norton-Cuffy’s cross after just three minutes.
Conor Washington did come close to doubling the lead, his 20-yard left-footed strike well pushed aside by Clarets keeper Arijanet Muric but, that apart, the Clarets bossed the rest of the first half.
Their leveller was a fine goal as Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s deep cross was hooked back by Nathan Tella for Rodriguez to head in from virtually under the crossbar.
Rodriguez and Tella both saw efforts cleared off the line while Johansson saved a Gudmundsson volley, so when Ogbene rolled a shot in off the post in a rare Rotherham second-half break, it was very much against the run of play.
However Bramall, already on a booking, lunged in needlessly on Connor Roberts to hand Burnley the impetus.
And although a superb Ashley Barnes volley was ruled out for offside, Benson provided the magic the Clarets needed to rescue not just one point but all three and keep alive the Championship’s only unbeaten home record in the process.
Line-ups Burnley
Formation 4-2-3-1
49Muric
22da Silva5Harwood-Bellis36Beyer29Maatsen
4Cork8Brownhill
7Gudmundsson23Tella19Zaroury
9Rodríguez
Substitutes
Rotherham
Formation 5-4-1
1Johansson
10Norton-Cuffy21Peltier20Hall2Harding3Bramall
22Odoffin8Wiles4Barlaser18Rathbone
14Washington
Substitutes
Live Text
Match ends, Burnley 3, Rotherham United 2.
90’+13′
Second Half ends, Burnley 3, Rotherham United 2.
90’+12′
Attempt saved. Jamie Lindsay (Rotherham United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Georgie Kelly.
90’+10′
Goal! Burnley 3, Rotherham United 2. Halil Dervisoglu (Burnley) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal.
90’+10′
Attempt saved. Josh Brownhill (Burnley) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Benson Manuel.
90’+10′
Jordan Beyer (Burnley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90’+9′
Ian Maatsen (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90’+9′
Foul by Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham United).
90’+9′
Attempt missed. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Benson Manuel.
90’+8′
Attempt saved. Benson Manuel (Burnley) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Connor Roberts.
90’+5′
Attempt saved. Halil Dervisoglu (Burnley) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Connor Roberts.
90’+4′
Attempt missed. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Benson Manuel with a cross.
90’+3′
Attempt missed. Ian Maatsen (Burnley) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Taylor Harwood-Bellis following a corner.
90’+3′
Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Richard Wood.
90’+1′
Goal! Burnley 2, Rotherham United 2. Benson Manuel (Burnley) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Connor Roberts.
90′
Ben Wiles (Rotherham United) is shown the yellow card.
90′
Josh Brownhill (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90′
Foul by Georgie Kelly (Rotherham United).
90′
Daniel Barlaser (Rotherham United) is shown the yellow card.
89′
Josh Brownhill (Burnley) is shown the yellow card.