Jay Rodriguez scored at the death as Burnley won one a dreary match over Bounremouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
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His header of an Ashley Westwood cross was the game’s lone shot on target, as Burnley moves 10th with 24 points.
The Cherries fail to build on their win over Chelsea and are four points clear of the Bottom Three.
Three things we learned
1. Teams embody the weather: On a cold, rainy December day, the Clarets and Cherries were more interested in projecting their misery on the opposition than playing any sort of football. Bournemouth passed at 77 percent, the visitors barely completing more than half of their passes (58%).
2. This was a bad game: Thirty-four fouls, one shot on target.
3. Bournemouth playing with fire: Eddie Howe’s Cherries are one of the best stories in English football, but have been very poor this season. Losing matches like this at home isn’t just below them, it’s handing three points to a team in a similar predicament. Right now, Bournemouth’s best fortune comes in the form of struggling Watford, Norwich City, and Aston Villa.
Man of the Match: Philip Billing was quite good in defeat again, but he was a bit lucky not to be sent off.
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It wouldn’t be dramatic to say that the entertainment level of the first half was nil, two sides coming off wins and hesitant to try much.
The hour mark saw little improvement, with 22 fouls meeting and four yellow cards out-performing the zero shots on target.
Philip Billing avoided a red card despite a VAR review, maybe the only moment of action before Rodriguez headed home in the 89th minute.