Scott Parker's pain over not playing Marcus Edwards
Burnley’s survival chances took a big dent after squandering the lead to lose to relegation rivals West Ham.
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From ballboy to Burnley: Josh Cullen on West Ham beginnings and looking up to Sc...](https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/from-ballboy-to-burnley-josh-cullen-on-west-ham-beginnings-and-looking-up-to-scott-parker-5392102 "From ballboy to Burnley: Josh Cullen on West Ham beginnings and looking up to Scott Parker")
Zian Flemming put Burnley’s noses in front with a well-taken header to score for the third time in as many games.
But the Hammers pegged the Clarets back on the stroke of half-time through Callum Wilson, a man who has regularly haunted Burnley down the years.
His close-range header came via a set-piece, just as West Ham’s second did 13 minutes from time from Tomas Soucek.
Substitute Kyle Walker-Pieters then added a third for the home side to add some gloss to the scoreline, which was incredibly harsh on Burnley.
Scott Parker’s men controlled the game for large parts, only to be undone by two set-pieces and unable to capitalise on their periods of control.
While they did add a late consolation through Josh Cullen, it was virtually the last kick of the game and the game had already gone away from them.
Callum Wilson celebrates an eighth career goal against the Clarets (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)placeholder image
Callum Wilson celebrates an eighth career goal against the Clarets (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
As a result, it sees West Ham draw level on points with the Clarets, who remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference only.
Parker made just one change from last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal as he reverted to a back four, which saw Josh Laurent drop out and Loum Tchaouna come in.
Lyle Foster returned to the bench after missing last week’s game with a sickness bug. Hjalmar Ekdal was also fine to continue despite suffering a black eye and a cut in training during the week.
Jordan Beyer, Connor Roberts and Zeki Amdouni all remain sidelined.
As for the Hammers, they named an unchanged side after coming from behind to beat Newcastle United 3-1 last week, handing Nuno Espirito Santo his first win as Hammers boss.
The game got off to a slow and stodgy start, with the majority of play coming in the West Ham half. But the Hammers were given an early sighting of Martin Dubravka’s goal when they were given a free-kick five yards outside the Burnley box, but Jarrod Bowen’s curling effort was well blocked by the wall.
The Clarets were unlucky not to score in the 15th minute with an incisive attack, all starting with Kyle Walker’s crossfield ball from the right to left.
Rather than taking it down, Quilindschy Hartman played a lovely first-time cross into the box, which the outstretched Zian Flemming just missed, despite his best efforts.
Midway through the half Burnley had to play for a few minutes with 10 men as Florentino Luis received treatment off the pitch, having his head bandaged after coming off second best in a meaty tackle with Lucas Paqueta, who was booked.
An anxious Parker also screamed at his bench to get a new shirt ready, before he was allowed back on the pitch.
Burnley remained in control of proceedings. They had done well to take the sting out of the game, with West Ham unable to offer anything in the way of an attacking threat. But the Clarets needed to offer more in attack.
Within a minute, they did exactly that, as the Clarets took the lead through Zian Flemming.
Lesley Ugochukwu was picked out in space down the right and he stood up a cross into the centre which Flemming headed back where it came from and into the far corner, leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.
A VAR check followed for a potential offside in the build-up when Flemming nodded the ball down, but it was another of those shirt sleeve jobs - a la Lyle Foster at Old Trafford - only on this occasion the decision went in Burnley’s favour.
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The goal only served to awaken the hosts though, who had previously been sleepy and off the pace. The unmarked Max Kilman had a header blocked from a corner after Bowen’s strike had deflected wide, while Callum Wilson - a regular scorer against Burnley down the years - also saw a header turned wide off a Burnley defender.
But on the stroke of half-time, Wilson was wheeling away celebrating after levelling for his side with an opportunistic header at the back post. It came after Crysencio Summerville’s shot had taken a deflection off Maxime Esteve and straight into Wilson’s path, giving the striker a simple headed finish. It was the striker’s eighth career goal against the Clarets.
Again the goal had to be checked by VAR for a potential offside in the build-up, but Kyle Walker was playing Summerville on by a foot.
At the interval, Burnley found themselves in familiar territory to Wolves a couple of weeks ago, where they squandered a two-goal lead to be pegged back to 2-2 at half-time.
On that occasion they reacted well and came out on top at the start of the second-half and that’s what they did again on this occasion, wrestling back control of possession and keeping the home fans quiet.
Flemming had a good chance to double his tally just before the hour mark when Anthony lofted up a cross, but this one was just behind him and he had to stretch all of his neck muscles to loop a header just over.
Jacob Bruun Larsen, off the bench in place of Tchaouna, stood up a driven cross with 20 minutes to go which Ugochukwu flicked towards goal, but unfortunately it was straight at Areola.
It proved to be Ugochukwu’s final action of the game, as he was withdrawn to be replaced by Hannibal while Armando Broja took the place of goalscorer Flemming.
With the game opening up, Summerville - West Ham’s most dangerous player - diverted a shot into the near post side netting after the hosts had hit Burnley on the break.
With only 13 minutes left in the game, Burnley found themselves going behind for the first time in the game.
Once again, it came via a set-piece, as a corner delivery was partially cleared towards Paqueta, whose curling cross was only palmed away by Dubravka straight to sub Tomas Soucek, who couldn’t miss from only a few yards out.
Burnley looked to produce an instant response, as Kyle Walker whipped in a vicious cross that was almost turned home by Florentino Luis.
But other than that, Burnley struggled to produce much of a response. Instead, it was the Hammers who scored again, Kyle Walker-Pieters tapping home to make it 3-1 after Dubravka had failed to keep hold of Soucek’s long-range shot.
Bruun Larsen saw a stoppage-time free-kick tipped around the post by Areola, but by then the damage had been done and Burnley were only chasing a late consolation.
The Clarets did eventually add a consolation with virtually the last kick of the game, as former Hammer Josh Cullen steered home after Areola fumbled Hannibal’s long-range effort.
TEAMS
West Ham: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Diouf, Potts (Soucek), Fernandes, Paqueta (Igor), Bowen, Summerville (Walker-Pieters), Wilson (Magassa)
Subs not used: Hermansen, Walker-Pieters, Guilhereme, Rodriguez, Irving, Golambeckis
Burnley: Dubravka, Walker, Tuanzebe, Esteve, Hartman (Pires), Florentino, Cullen, Ugochukwu (Hannibal), Tchaouna (Bruun Larsen), Anthony (Edwards), Flemming (Broja)
Subs not used: Weiss, Ekdal, Laurent, Foster
Referee: Michael Salisbury
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