Match Reports

Report: Burnley 0 Albion 0

By James Hilsum • 28 April 2018

  • Albion and Burnley share a goalless draw
  • Ashley Barnes and Kevin Long have the best chances of the game in the first half
  • The Seagulls move down one place into 14th
  • Gap between Albion and the bottom three is cut to five points

Brighton & Hove Albion claimed another point in their bid to secure Premier League survival, after a hard-fought goalless draw with Burnley at Turf Moor.

In a tense and nervy display with little in the way of clear-cut opportunities, the Seagulls moved up to 37 points for the season, but the gap between themselves and Southampton in 18th was cut to five points after their win over Bournemouth.

Chris Hughton made one change to the side that drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur 11 days ago, as Leonardo Ulloa made his first Premier League start for the Seagulls and replaced Glenn Murray.

Albion worked their first opening when Lewis Dunk played a fine ball into the path of Anthony Knockaert, but the Frenchman’s cross was collected by Nick Pope with Ulloa waiting to pounce.

Burnley ventured forward for the first time through Ashley Westwood, who took advantage of some space on the edge of the area, and played an enticing through ball to Ashley Barnes, but the former Seagull failed to connect.

Down the other end, Johann Berg Gudmundsson intercepted Lewis Dunk’s cross-field pass, but saw his subsequent strike drift harmlessly wide of the far post.

Chances began to flow for both sides, as Bruno was picked out unmarked inside the box from a Pascal Gross corner, but the skipper fired wide with a close-range strike.

Albion managed to survive an intense goalmouth scramble, as Mathew Ryan and Gaetan Bong denied Barnes, before Kevin Long saw his effort hit the post before deflecting off Shane Duffy for a corner.

Despite the major scare, Hughton’s men continued to play some lovely free-flowing attacking football with further chances falling to Gross and Beram Kayal, but neither tested Nick Pope.

Brighton caught the Burnley defence napping in the first minute after the re-start when Gross was allowed to pick out Knockaert unmarked inside the box, but the winger’s cross flashed across the face of goal before going wide.

Gross had a chance himself moments later following some good link-up play with Jose Izquierdo, but his low strike was kept out by Pope at the near post.

There was a nervy moment for the Albion defence when Gudmundsson’s free kick drifted deep into the box before Ryan gathered the loose ball.

Bruno and Dunk then combined well to deny Ashley Westwood a shot at goal, before Westwood also saw his attempt blocked.

Hughton freshened up Albion’s attack by introducing Murray in place of Ulloa, and the former was involved in the thick of the action straight away when his shot was blocked for a corner.

The final 20 minutes saw both sides have some good possession of the ball without creating anything clear-cut, as the two teams shared the spoils.

ALBION: Ryan; Bruno (Schelotto 89), Dunk, Duffy, Bong; Knockaert, Stephens, Kayal, Izquierdo (March 85); Gross; Ulloa (Murray 67).

SUBS NOT USED: Krul (GK), Goldson, Suttner, Locadia.