- Heaton keeps clean sheet
- Westwood sets up two goals
- McNeil becomes first Burnley teen to score PL goal
Dwight McNeil and Chris Wood scored first half goals as Burnley moved closer to safety with a 2-0 defeat of disappointing West Ham United on Sunday at Turf Moor.
Burnley now has the same amount of points as 17th place Southampton, but is behind by seven in goal differential.
West Ham has lost two-straight and is 11th.
Tom Heaton kept his first Premier League clean sheet since Sept. 10, 2017, which was also his last Premier League start.
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Burnley took the lead through Wood, who hammered a near-perfect headed pass from Ashley Barnes past Fabianski. It was a gorgeous combination, started by Tom Heaton and well-aided by the long pass of Ashley Westwood.
Service from Westwoodd nearly leaded to 2-0, but his corner kick was popped just over the goal by the head of Ben Mee.
Burnley got its two-goal advantage through 19-year-old McNeil, who slid to knock in another fine bit of playmaking from Westwood.
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19y 38d - Dwight McNeil has become the first ever teenager to score a Premier League goal for Burnley. Kicks. #BURWHU
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2018
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Wood completely whiffed on a Barnes set-up in the first minute of the second half, and West Ham cleared the danger and the ensuing corner.
He missed another bid to score when Westwood fed him 1v1 with Fabianski, slipping the ball under the keeper but wide.
Andy Carroll’s halftime introduction was a big move for Manuel Pellegrini, and he forced a save out of Heaton in the 67th.