Chris Wood scored on his full debut as Burnley beat Crystal Palace to move into the top half of the Premier League table and consign the Eagles to a fourth straight defeat.

Clarets record signing Wood, who scored the equaliser at Tottenham after coming on as a substitute two weeks ago, seized on a horrendous back-pass from Lee Chung-yong before shooting past Wayne Hennessey in just the third minute at Turf Moor.

It was one of only two attempts on target by the home side, who conceded the greater share of possession and territory to their opponents.

But Palace - lacking in composure and confidence - were unable to capitalise on the chances that fell their way, with Scott Dann seeing two efforts from close range blocked on the line and heading a sitter wide in the closing stages.

They remain without a league goal or point this season under Dutchman Frank de Boer, chronically short of confidence and second bottom of the division.

They are also the first side in 93 years to lose the first four matches of a top-flight season without scoring a goal, since Preston in 1924.

Burnley have seven points and are up to seventh in the table, although it was not all good news as goalkeeper Tom Heaton was forced off with a suspected dislocated shoulder after falling awkwardly in the first half and could face a lengthy spell out.

Palace can argue they had the better of Sunday's game, in terms of territory, time on the ball and chances created.

They had 65% of possession, nearly 30 touches in the Burnley box as opposed to the five the Clarets had in Palace's area, and had 23 attempts on goal to their opponents' four.

But dominating these stats are not enough on their own to win football matches, especially when you are struggling in front of goal and gift a stubborn, well-organised opponent an early lead.

When Eagles striker Christian Benteke is up for the contest and confident he is a handful for any defence, but when things are not going his way he becomes a passenger, as he was for much of this match.

He was given one big chance to salvage something for his side when he burst through a host of players into the box but saw his shot blocked by a superb spread-eagle save from Heaton's replacement, Nick Pope.

The Belgian wasn't the only culprit. A combination of misfortune and good defending on the line prevented Dann scoring with two goalbound shots, but only the Palace defender knows what was going through his head when, with a minute to go, he tried to use it to steer home a cross from Yohan Cabaye from just yards out instead of burying it.

De Boer can lament an unjust defeat but it leaves him vulnerable in what, as his chairman dispassionately stated this week, is a "results-based business".

Source:
courtesy of BBC SPORTS

by Phil Dawkes

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