Burnley took a significant step toward the top two in the Championship by securing a victory over Cardiff City, despite conceding a goal for the first time in 13 games. The match, held on Saturday at Cardiff City Stadium, saw Burnley edge closer to automatic promotion places, now just two points behind their Yorkshire rivals. Cardiff, on the other hand, remains five points clear of the relegation zone after experiencing their first home defeat of 2025.
Burnley's defensive prowess had been a hallmark of their recent performances, going 1,132 minutes without conceding a goal in the Championship. However, Yousef Salech's firm header before the break ended this remarkable streak. Despite this setback, Burnley's manager, Scott Parker, remained optimistic about the outcome.
"It's a shame we conceded, but the most important thing is we won." – Scott Parker
The first half saw Burnley take control with goals from Josh Brownhill and Maxime Esteve. Their efforts ensured the Clarets moved within striking distance of the automatic promotion spots. Cardiff, known for their resilience, had recently salvaged a point with a late equalizer against Bristol City and dominated the closing stages of this encounter. Nevertheless, they could not replicate their previous late heroics.
Cardiff's Omer Riza expressed satisfaction with his team's overall performance despite the loss.
"I'm pleased with the three points." – Omer Riza
Burnley's Scott Parker acknowledged areas for improvement but was content with the result.
"I'm pleased with the three points."
The second half saw Burnley attempting to assert more pressure on Cardiff, which Parker believed showcased their superiority in that period.
"We tried to get after them a little bit more and I thought we were better than them second half." – Scott Parker
A notable moment in the match occurred when Alex Robertson attempted an audacious shot from 50 yards, aiming to catch Burnley's goalkeeper James Trafford off guard. Trafford adeptly backpedaled and took the ball on his chest, preventing what could have been a spectacular goal. As the game approached its conclusion, Will Fish had an opportunity to level for Cardiff in stoppage time but prodded wide from close range. Burnley managed to hold on and secure a vital victory.
Despite losing their clean sheet record, Burnley's achievement of 14 consecutive games without conceding between November 2008 and February 2009 remains unmatched. Parker expressed a mix of disappointment and satisfaction after the match.
"I'm disappointed because I thought we were worth a point but we gave ourselves too much to do." – Scott Parker
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