Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Burnley

Burnley beat Blackburn and seal Championship title

2023/04/25 22:54

Burnley secured the Championship title in style with a 1-0 victory over local rivals Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Vincent Kompany's men came into the match after suffering their first defeat of the season in their previous outing, and it looked like the pressure might have been getting to them during a tense first half.

Neither team was able to create any clear-cut chances in the opening 45 minutes, with both sides struggling to break down their opponents' defence.

The hosts had more of the ball and looked the more threatening side, but they were unable to find a way past Burnley's well-organised backline.

The second half started in a similar fashion, with both teams cancelling each other out for large periods of the game. However, the Clarests started to up the tempo and began to look more dangerous on the counter-attack.

Their breakthrough came in the 68th minute when substitute Manuel Benson fired a powerful shot past Aynsley Pears in the Blackburn goal.

The Belgian had only been on the pitch for eight minutes but made an immediate impact, picking up the ball on the right-hand side before cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net.

Jon Tomasson's side pushed forward in search of an equaliser in the dying minutes of the game, but Burnley defended resolutely and held on for the win.

Sammie Szmodics came closest to scoring for the home side, but his shot was blocked by a last-ditch Burnley challenge.

The result sees Burnley crowned champions of the Championship, 13 points clear of second-placed Sheffield United, who could join them in the Premier League if they win their next game against West Brom on Wednesday.

For Blackburn, the defeat dealt a significant blow to Rovers' hopes of making the playoffs, leaving them in eighth place with two games remaining.