Swansea 0-2 Burnley: Scott Parker so proud as his Clarets go second in Championship

By Carl Field

SWANSEA CITY 0

BURNLEY 2

Brownhill 4, Anthony 22

Proud Burnley boss Scott Parker hailed a thoroughly professional display from his side after they moved into the automatic promotion places with victory against Swansea City.

The result never looked in doubt from the moment skipper Josh Brownhill tapped home an easy opener inside four minutes.

He then played a part in his side’s second midway through the first half, scored by Jaidon Anthony.

It secured the Clarets consecutive wins at Swansea for the first time in their league history while extended their unbeaten run in the current campaign to 25 matches – in a run stretching back to 2 November.

Solid

“Overall, it was a real solid professional performance,” said Parker.

“We started the game really well in terms of our intensity, breaking out of certain areas and then executing with two goals.

“There were tired legs out there coming out of a really busy schedule and we just managed the game extremely well.

“I just felt the game was constantly in our hands, and it always helps obviously with the two goals to make it feel like that.”

On moving into the top two, albeit maybe only temporarily, Parker added: “Winning again is the most crucial thing.

“Like I always say, I have no interest in what others are doing.

“We’re at the back end of this season now, it’s been a long gruelling hard one, and we just need to keep chalking off the wins.”

CUSHION: Burnley’s Jaidon Anthony scores the second                                              PICTURE: Alamy

Match action

Burnley got off to the perfect start when they took the lead in the fourth minute.

An unfortunate slip by right-back Josh Key released Anthony down the left and he slipped Zian Flemming in, and his centre was converted from close range by Brownhill for his 13th goal of the season.

The visitors doubled that lead after 22 minutes.

After Brownhill had looped the ball into the Swansea box from the right, Anthony and Flemming both had goal-bound efforts blocked before the ball fell kindly for Anthony again – and he made no mistake this time as he lashed the ball high into the roof of the net.

Swansea were struggling to find any intensity, and when they did have promising moments there was a lack of cutting edge.

Goncalo Franco could only find a Burnley defender when attempting to play in Liam Cullen, while Ronald only succeeded in finding the arms keeper James Trafford as he tried to pull the ball back into the box.

Swans keeper Lawrence Vigouroux had to get down well to punch away Marcus Edwards’ effort from outside the box after 32 minutes.

Then, moments later, Edwards’ cross from the right found Maxime Esteve but the defender could only direct his header over the crossbar.

Swansea’s appeals for a penalty were waved away by referee Oliver Langford, with Zan Vipotnik’s shot on the turn appearing to strike the hand of CJ Egan-Riley, but a corner was given instead.

Burnley went close to adding a third less than two minutes after the break when Anthony, again causing problems down the Swansea left, cut back inside and sent a shot just wide of the far post.

But the game then petered out.