Burnley pick up crucial win over in-form Watford
Jaidon Anthony and Josh Brownhill ensured Burnley started a crucial phase of their promotion bid with a 2-1 win over in-form Watford at Turf Moor.
A defence that has now conceded just nine times in the first 22 games of the Championship season came under late pressure but still helped maintain Scott Parker’s bid for automatic promotion.
And, although a Kwadwo Baah goal provided late concern for the Burnley manager, a run of just one defeat from their last 19 league games certainly suggests they may be capable of a quick return to the Premier League in 2025.
Anthony opened the scoring on nine minutes with a superb finish after Hannibal Mejbri had found Brownhill on a darting run into the Watford area.
Brownhill’s cross reached an unmarked Anthony at the far post and his well-hit volley bounced into the ground, gaining pace as it flew past Daniel Bachmann.
It was just the start Parker’s side required as they open a run that sees them play five of their next six league games against teams that started the afternoon in the top seven of the Championship table.
The impressive Mejbri should have doubled the lead just after the half-hour mark when Brownhill’s cross deflected to him on the edge of the area but the former Manchester United youngster shot narrowly wide.
And Zian Flemming threatened with the last kick of the half, lashing a powerful shot wide after more good approach play from Brownhill.
Watford, looking to build on a run of six games without defeat that had lifted them to the edge of the play-off places, had started the game brightly with a series of threatening crosses.
But they found Burnley’s defence – by some margin the stingiest in the top four divisions of English football – difficult to break down.
The closest to a first-half equaliser came, in farcical circumstances, when Jeremy Ngakia’s hopeful punt into the area was caught in the swirling wind and created major problems before James Trafford could catch it.
Anthony started the second half threatening the Watford goal again, sending an effort flying over from the edge of the area.
But the hosts looked the more likely scorers and so it proved, on 63 minutes, when Brownhill doubled the lead to reflect Burnley’s dominance, with his eighth goal of the season.
It came from a neatly-worked attack, with short, sharp passes from Connor Roberts and Josh Cullen, before Brownhill took over, playing a one-two with Mejbri and planting an inch-perfect finish into the far corner.
Watford substitute Francisco Sierralta forced Trafford into a brilliant fingertip save, as he poked a free-kick goalwards just six yards out a few moments later.
In the 80th minute, Baah offered Watford late hope when he volleyed in from 10 yards after a group of players rose to meet Giorgi Chakvetadze’s right-wing corner and the rebound sat up kindly for the winger.
