13:36
74 min McNeil is penalised for a high foot in the face of, yep, Sean Longstaff. This one was outside the area, which is probably why it was given.
13:34
73 min Tarkowski drives a long pass into the Newcastle area towards Vydra, who waits for it to bounce and hammers it into the side netting. The angle was too tight.
13:33
72 min “Is there a better name in all of world football than Allan Saint-Maximin?” says Daniel Montefusco, who is well qualified to discuss this subject. “Said with a south London French accent, I reckon there isn’t.”
13:28
66 min Burnley almost equalise straight away. First Vydra miscontrols a dropping ball in the area, then Pieters’ cutback just evades Chris Wood.
13:26
Saint-Maximin has put Newcastle ahead with a marvellous solo goal. He received possession on the halfway line and charged straight at a backpedalling Burnley defence. He reached the edge of the area, beat Tarkowski with an extravagant Cruyff turn and rammed a low left-footed shot into the corner. What a hero.
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13:24
GOAL! Burnley 1-2 Newcastle (Saint-Maximin 64)
Allan Saint-Maximin, you are magnificent!
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13:22
62 min “Well, now we know what VAR really stands for,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Very Ambiguous Refereeing. The Liam Cooper is Innocent campaign starts here.”
13:21
60 min At the other end, McNeil’s dangerous cross is cleared by Clark inside the six-yard box.
13:20
Allan Saint-Maximin has made the equaliser within two minutes of coming on. He charged into the area from the right, looked up and laid the ball back carefully towards Murphy on the edge of the area. He ran onto it and hit a sweet shot that veered away from Peacock-Farrell and flew into the far corner.
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13:17
57 min Steve Bruce brings out the big guns: Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin replace Gayle and Joelinton up front.
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13:16
56 min “John Graham says the penalty incident was ‘dangerous play’,” says Roy Allen. “Basically, where a high foot is concerned, dangerous play is when the foot is dangerously high but doesn’t make contact. That’s an indirect free kick. If contact is made it’s a plain old foul and a direct free kick or penalty.”
I’m glad I came in today, if only to learn that.
13:15
55 min Wood muscles Clark off the ball on the left of the area but then slices his shot across the face of goal. Moments later, McNeil’s rising drive is tipped over by Dubravka. It was a fairly comfortably save, straight above his head.
13:14
54 min Ritchie’s deep cross is headed down by Longstaff at the far post, but there are no other Newcastle players nearby and Mee has time to chest the ball down and welt it clear.
13:12
52 min Wood wins yet another corner off Fernandez. Westwood’s inswinger is claimed comfortably by Dubravka.
13:10
49 min “There’s no doubt that was a penalty,” says John Graham. “Anywhere else on the pitch it’s a free kick , dangerous play. On Sky the host said he played the ball first, Cooper did yesterday for Leeds but was sent off anyway. He also said it had to be a clear and obvious error. Well if that wasn’t, what is? No consistency whatsoever.”
Yep. VAR has made everything a whole lot muddier, and I’m not sure how we resolve that, because it’s too late to put it back in its box. It has already done irreparable damage.
13:07
46 min Dubravka makes a good save, leaping to tip Lowton’s 20-yard volley over the bar. That effort came from the first of three more Burnley corners in quick succession.
12:59
“I reckon that VAR, in their ‘infinite wisdom’, decided that there was no contact between defender’s boot and attacker’s head,” says Roy Allen. “In which case it would be ‘playing in a dangerous manner’ and punishable by an indirect free kick, which is outside the VAR remit. That’s my theory anyway.”
It was simpler back in the day, when everyone knew where they stood. Play on!
Updated
12:51
Half time: Burnley 1-0 Newcastle
Peep peep! Burnley lead through Matej Vydra’s early goal. They have been the better team in most departments, though Newcastle should probably have had a penalty when James Tarkowski almost beheaded Sean Longstaff. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
12:51
45+3 min After all those Burnley corners, Newcastle almost equalise from one of their own. It was half cleared to Murphy, who lofted an angled cross into the area. It was missed by everyone in the middle and hit the unsighted Fernandez beyond the far post before rolling through to Peacock-Farrell. Had Fernandez been able to control that, he would have had a clear chance.
12:49
45+2 min “If the purpose of penalising high feet is to protect players then that’s a penalty regardless of whether the defender got the ball first,” says Niall Mullen. “If it’s outside the box it’s definitely given as a foul.”
I haven’t a clue anymore.
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12:48
45+1 min Three minutes of added time. Burnley are all over Newcastle, with four corners in quick succession.
12:47
45 min: Fine save by Dubravka! Westwood’s corner was only partially cleared, and McNeil fed the ball back to him on the left. His cross was flicked on dangerously at the near post and then steered towrds his own goal by the stretching Dummett. Dubravka flew to his left to push it behind. That’s a really good save.
12:45
44 min Burnley deserve their lead, despite that penalty controversy, and Steve Bruce will surely be tempted to bring one or both of Saint-Maximin and Wilson on at half-time.
12:44
42 min “Great spot re Jamte Vydra,” says Bill Hargreaves. “I’m half expecting the referee to approach him at the end of the match and pull a mask off. He woulda gotten away with it if it weren’t for us pesky kids.”
12:41
NO PENALTY! Hmm. Steve Bruce won’t be thrilled with that decision. Tarkowski’s clearance was just instinct, but his foot was extremely high and I’m surprised that wasn’t seen as dangerous play.
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12:40
38 min: Fine save from Peacock-Farrell! Murphy’s low cross from the right was met by Gayle, four yards out at the near post. His shot was brilliantly saved by Peacock-Farrell, but the ball bounced up towards Longstaff on the six-yard line. He was about to head the ball into the net when Tarkowski swivelled to hoof it clear. There’s a VAR check for a penalty, as Tarkowski’s foot was very high and he made contact with Longstaff’s head. I think this will be given.
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12:37
36 min Gudmundsson’s deflected shot spins across the area to McNeil, who lifts the bouncing ball over the bar from 10 yards. It wasn’t the easiest chance; the bounce meant he couldn’t get over the ball.
12:36
34 min: Gayle has a goal disallowed for offside. Murphy’s low cross was turned in the general direction of the goal by the off balance Joelinton. His shot was going wide, and Gayle – who knew he was offside – couldn’t resist stabbing the ball into the net. Replays confirmed he was beyond the last defender.
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12:35
34 min Peacock-Farrell again comes out of his area to beat Joelinton to a long ball over the top. This time he takes no chances, blootering the ball whence it came.
12:31
31 min Burnley are well on top. They haven’t created loads of chances but they’ve been much the better team and have looked in no trouble defensively.
12:29
28 min Gudmundsson is fouled on the edge of the D by Clark. Brownhill and Gudmundsson are over the free-kick…
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12:28
25 min Shelvey’s low cross from the right isn’t far away from Gayle, but Tarkowski gets between him and the ball and allows it to roll through to Peacock-Farrell.
12:24
22 min “Vydra,” muses Niall Mullen, “the anagram-lover’s Vardy.”
That’s a good spot. Their first names are almost an anagram as well. All hail Jamte Vardy.
12:22
21 min Newcastle haven’t done much in attack. You’d imagine their plan is to stay in the game until they can bring on Saint-Maximin and Wilson.
12:20
It was made superbly by Chris Wood. He beat Ciaran Clark on the left side of the area, got to the byline and cut the ball back to give Vydra, six yards out, a simple finish.
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12:19
GOAL! Burnley 1-0 Newcastle (Vydra 18)
Matej Vydra looked sharp, and now he’s scored!
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12:19
17 min Peacock-Farrell comes out of his area to beat Joelinton to a ball over the top. But then he plays a poor pass, straight to Sean Longstaff on the left wing. Thankfully for Peacock-Farrell, Westwood comes across to ensure Longstaff can’t have a shot.
12:17
14 min: Good save by Dubravka! Westwood’s superb corner was flicked on at the near post by Brownhill, and Dubravka dived to his left to push the ball away. Mee moved towards the rebound and then fell over after Dummett kicked the underside of his leg. There were no real penalty appeals, and I don’t think there was a VAR check, but in the current climate that could easily have been given.
12:15
14 min Vydra, who looks the sharpest attacker on the field, charges into the area from the left and lays the ball back to McNeil. His cross hits Shelvey and goes behind for a corner.
12:13
12 min “Hi Rob,” says Dan Osborn. “Great to see Peacock-Farrell getting a start today. Probably the best goalkeeper with a double-barrelled surname in England?”
Now that’s what I call niche. Also, to adhere to the Trent Principle, shouldn’t we call him Bailey?
12:12
11 min At the other end, Sean Longstaff’s overhit cross almost sneaks into the net. Peacock-Farrell was scrambling a bit but he had it covered.
12:11
9 min Gudmundsson’s cross is pulled down expertly by Vydra, but his shot on the turn is blocked by Fernandez.
12:09
7 min McNeil’s free-kick from the left is headed over by Tarkowski, 10 yards out. The ball was slightly behind him so it wasn’t much of a chance.
12:07
6 min Vydra picks up a loose ball just outside the area and hits a low shot that is blocked by a combination of Fernandez and Clark.
12:05
3 min A quiet start. Both teams are in the expected formations: 4-4-2 for Burnley and 3-1-4-2 for Newcastle.
12:02
1 min Peep peep! Newcastle, in their yellow away kit, kick off from right to left.
12:01
The players observe a two-minute silence for the Duke of Edinburgh, and now it’s time for the football.
11:06
Team news
Nick Pope is unavailable, so Bailey Peacock-Farrell is in goal for Burnley. That’s the only change from the side that lost 3-2 at Southampton last weekend.
Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin start on the bench for Newcastle. They’ve made two changes from last weekend, both in defence: Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez replace Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth.
Burnley (4-4-2) Peacock-Farrell; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters; Gudmundsson, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil; Vydra, Wood.
Substitutes: Norris, Taylor, Bardsley, Nartey, Dunne, Cork, Stephens, Richardson, Mumbongo.
Newcastle (3-1-4-2) Dubravka; Fernandez, Clark, Dummett; Shelvey; Murphy, Almiron, S Longstaff, Ritchie; Joelinton, Gayle.
Substitutes: Darlow, Lewis, Krafth, Manquillo, Willock, Hendrick, Carroll, Saint-Maximin, Wilson.
Referee Anthony Taylor.
10:16
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minuteish coverage of Burnley v Newcastle at Turf Moor. This is a huge game in the dogfight to avoid relegation. Burnley are in 15th, four points ahead of Newcastle and, more importantly, seven ahead of Fulham in 18th. If they win today, it’s probably safe to look forward to another season of Sean Dyche’s infectious, gravelly wisdom.
Burnley’s recent form is in the eye of the beholder. They have lost only two of the last nine matches, but they’ve also won only two of the last 11. And they haven’t beaten anyone at Turf Moor since January.
Newcastle’s form is pretty dreadful whichever way you look at it – they’ve taken only 12 points from the last 19 games. There were encouraging signs in their 2-2 draw with Spurs last week, though, and the return from injury of Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson is a big boost. But it’s two steps forward, one step back: the captain Jamaal Lascelles is out with a suspected stress fracture in his foot.
Kick off 12pm.
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