Watford 1-2 Burnley: Clarets Stage Comeback to Frustrate Hornets & Strengthen League Position

Burnley have strengthened their position in their quest for European football next season with an incredible 2-1 comeback victory against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Sean Dyche's Clarets started the match in seventh place on the Premier League table, having impressed almost all season. And they could have been ahead in under two minutes had Chris Wood's goal not been disallowed.

Replays showed the forward slightly offside when a cross came his way before he headed into the back of the net.

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Watford, on the other hand, were intent on getting the three points that would take them to 40 for the term, a milestone which usually guarantees survival in the top flight. And they didn't wait very long before hitting back, coming close twice in the space of three minutes, with Troy Deeney nodding a header just wide around the 10th minute and Roberto Pereyra forcing a save from Nick Pope moments later.

The home side did rather well to peg Burnley back for most of the first half and registered a few more attempts. Pope had to be called upon again in the 34th minute when Pereyra found his way into the box for another shot on target. 

Halftime would creep up with both teams unbreached, despite the scoring opportunities. But the Hornets looked likelier to strike first in the second half. And that they did, with Pereyra finally getting the best of Pope in the 61st minute after Will Hughes got into the box and was tackled by Stephen Ward as he was about to pull the trigger.

The ball fell to Pereyra, rather fortuitously, and the Argentinian made no mistake this time, smashing past the Clarets stopper to put his team ahead.

Dyche threw Sam Vokes on in a bid to inject some more offence in the 70th minute. And the striker immediately got down to business, scoring an equaliser with his first touch just 20 seconds after coming on, when Watford's Adrian Mariappa headed a Burnley free-kick his way to leave him with just the keeper to beat from point-blank range.

The Clarets took the lead just three minutes later, with Jack Cork heading goalwards off Kevin Long's headed pass following yet another free-kick.

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Orestis Karnezis looked to have made an incredible save, but the ball had actually crossed the line, prompting goalline technology to come into play, much to the delight of the Burnley players, who hadn't even realised it themselves.

Dyche's men would hold on to their precious lead for the remaining 20 minutes, as well as over six more in extra time to cap their remarkable comeback. They are now just two points behind sixth-placed Arsenal, who play Southampton at home on Sunday.

Starting Lineups

Watford: Karnezis, Janmaat, Prodl, Mariappa, Holebas, Capoue, Doucoure, Femenia, Hughes, Pereyra, Deeney.

Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Long, Ward, Lennon, Westwood, Cork, Nkoudou, Barnes, Wood