West Brom 1-2 Burnley: Clarets Earn Away Win to Pile More Misery on Baggies

Burnley continued their fine season as they held on to a 2-1 win against West Brom at The Hawthorns. An audacious Ashley Barnes strike and Chris Wood tap-in had given the Clarets a deserved lead, but were given a late scare as Salomon Rondon scored with seven minutes remaining, but left their efforts too late and recorded an eighth consecutive Premier League defeat.

In a subdued Hawthorns, the opening 20 minutes was bereft of an intensity or quality. West Brom appeared content on sitting back the opening exchanges, affording Burnley the lions share of possession, but visitors failing to do much with it. 

That changed on the 22nd minute however as Sean Dyche's side took the lead, courtesy of an outstanding Ashley Barnes strike. Aaron Lennon was played in down the right, before he floated what seemed to be harmless cross into the area, but Barnes was the first to react and acrobatically fire his volley past a motionless Foster for the breakthrough. 

The goal only seemed to spark the Lancashire side into life and began to take the game to their under-pressure hosts. Georges-Kevin N'Koudou and Chris Wood both saw efforts sail just wide in a matter of minutes to the deafening sound of jeers from the Baggies faithful. 

For all of Burnley's dominance in the first half however, the Baggies almost entered half time on level terms. Rondon rose well to head Jake Livermore's cross towards goal, but Nick Pope was alert to palm the ball away low down to his left and keep his side's slender advantage going into the break. 

Alan Pardew clearly wanted more from his side in the second period and his players did begin the half with a vigour and purpose that their first half lacked. Chris Brunt and Rondon both delivered dangerous crosses within the opening five minutes, as the hosts looked to take the game to Burnley. 

Despite West Brom's positive start to the second half, they were dealt a huge blow as Chris Wood doubled Burnley's lead in the 73rd minute. Matthew Lowton slipped in the New Zealand international, who skipped past a sliding Jonny Evans before firing towards goal. Ben Foster could only parry the initial shot, leaving Wood the simple task of nodding the rebound into an empty net.

Burnley's second goal could've knocked the wind out of West Brom's sail, and it appeared to do so until the Baggies find a route back into the game seven minutes from time. 

Rondon did well to control Evans' ball in, before firing past Pope to set up an exciting finish to the game. Stephen Ward appeared to be down in the build up to the goal moments earlier with the visitors appealing for the game to be stopped, but Lee Probert waved away their appeals and the goal stood.

West Brom searched for a late leveller as Matt Phillips drew a smart save out of Pope, before Phillips couldn't apply a touch to Craig Dawson's ball in, as Burnley held on for a deserved three points at the expense of West Brom.