Burnley 1 Newcastle 0: Wood winner ends Clarets’ poor run but Dyche fumes over Carroll’s VAR let-off for forearm smash
ANDY CARROLL was handed the let-off of a lifetime as rookie referee Tim Robinson and the VAR officials reacted weakly to his forearm smash on Ben Mee in Burnley’s narrow victory.
The video checking system seemed to stand for Villainy Apparently Rewarded, after Carroll sent Mee crashing to the floor with a flying leap that had nothing to do with trying to win the ball.
It was almost a carbon copy of the crude challenge on Mee that earned Carroll a straight red here two years ago, during his West Ham days – although if anything, this one was even more sickening.
But Robinson – taking charge of his first Premier League match – decided a booking was sufficient. And the faceless men at VAR headquarters once again decided against over-ruling the man on the spot.
That happened just moments after Chris Wood has headed Burnley’s 58th minute winner with his seventh goal of the season, his 15th Premier League strike in 2019.
Clarets’ boss Sean Dyche reacted furiously on the touchline as Carroll was allowed to stay on.
He would surely have exploded if the big striker had managed to score or inspire a Newcastle equaliser.
That would not have been a worry if Jack Cork had managed to finish a glorious chance on 67 minutes.
Cork robbed Sean Longstaff on hallway and surged towards the Newcastle box, skipping neatly around Federico Fernandez to race through for a one-on-one with Toon keeper Martin Dubravka.
But after doing everything right in the build-up, Cork’s sidefooted shot was too close to Dubravka, and the Newcastle skipper blocked it with an outstretched leg.
The Toon almost made Burnley pay wasting that opening, as Joelinton barged Eric Pieters off the ball and squared for substitute Dwight Gayle at the near post.
Gayle somehow screwed his shot wide – if it had gone in VAR would surely have checked whether Pieters had been fouled. But who knows how that would have gone?
It was no surprise that Burnley’s goal came from a well-delivered corner. They looked threatening from evey set piece, with terrific deliveries from both Dight McNeil and Ashley Westwood.
It was Westwood who sent over the corner for Wood to head home at the far post, and the midfielder almost scored a freak goal himself.
His optimistic high ball into the Newcastle box seemed to catch a gust of wind. It flew over Dubravka’s head and almost landed in the far corner of the net.
The incident-packed second half was a complete contrast to a dull and uninspiring first 45, littered with clumsy fouls and even clumsier passes.
Before the first half settled into winter blunderland mode, it was Newcastle who showed most of the attacking intent.
Carroll, making only his second Premier League start of the season, found himself up against the much smaller Phil Bardsley when Christian Atsu swung over a good cross.
Carroll easily won the header, but sent his effort well wide of the target – and was hardly heard from again.
Burnley responded with a dipping shot from McNeil – their main attacking threat yet again – forcing Dubravka into a good low save.
The home fans got more excited when Paul Dummett slid in to clear a McNeil cross – the ball bounced up against the full back’s arm before going behind for a corner. prompting loud appeals for a penalty.
Robinson, asked VAR to take a look, but the officials decided there was no intent from the Toon player.
For some reason know only to himself, Atsu chose not to shoot after Isaac Hayden found him unmarked inside the Burnley box.
Apart from that it was a case of long passes from both sides repeatedly missing their mark, and Joelinton vented his frustration with a couple of reckless lunges at James Tarkowski, the second of them earning him a yellow card.
Dyche looked on anxiously as Tarkowski needed treatment after both challenges. The Clarets had no cover for the central defender after Ben Gibson was injured in the warm-up and was replaced on the bench by Matej Vydra.
In the end it was Mee who looked more likely to be helped off. But she soldiered on to help his team end a run of three successive defeats.
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