Wolves were hit with the cruellest of sucker punches at Turf Moor as Burnley were awarded a controversial penalty with seconds remaining, allowing Chris Wood to cancel out Raul Jimenez’s volley and cost Nuno Espirito Santo’s side a valuable two points.
The visitors looked on course of an crucial victory with just two games remaining when a vintage Jimenez volley almost broke Nick Pope’s net with 14 minutes remaining, however, there was a sting in the tail as the hosts fought back.
Matt Doherty was the man deemed guilty by both Mike Dean and VAR, with the Irishman being penalised for handball, despite appearing to protect himself from Wood’s flailing boot. The ultimate punishment was dished out when the Burnley forward beat Rui Patricio from 12 yards.
Desperate to turn their dominance into a rare early goal, the visitors continued to press in the chilled Lancashire air and Romain Saiss will have been disappointed when he connected with Joao Moutinho’s corner, but with his shoulder, as the ball sailed over from a matter of yards out.
With Burnley so resolute and precious of possession, any blip Wolves needed to capitalise on and once Phil Bardsley gifted the ball to Daniel Podence, the wide man looked set to slip in Jimenez one against one, but instead attempted the back heel which the Clarets were able to clean up – major let off for the hosts.
As for Burnley, their chances were few and far between, and when Jay Rodriguez had a sight of goal, the forward couldn’t keep his volley down. Having enjoyed their dominance, Wolves quickly got back on the attack and some fine one-touch passing created space for Podence to scoop a delightful ball over James Tarkowski to Diogo Jota, but the forward could only fire into the side netting on the turn.
Half-time: Burnley 0 Wolves 0
Counter attacks are so often a theme of Wolves’ game, and it was via that method where they almost took the lead. Podence led the breakaway and fed Jimenez, who shifted the ball on to his right, but blasted over. Burnley were much improved after the break however, and Wolves needed a last-ditch tackle from Ruben Neves to foil Josh Brownhill.
The Portuguese popped up in a much more familiar area soon after, firing down the throat of Pope from range after the ball has sat up nicely for him. Next was the turn of Podence, after Eric Pieters had gifted Jota possession on the edge of his box, but Wolves’ number 10 could only drag his effort wide.
That would be Podence’s final contribution, as Matt Doherty took his place soon after, allowed Traore to push further forward. And it was that right-side pair who eventually helped grind down Burnley.
Traore was the source. He picked up the ball deep and centrally, but took off, barging past defender after defender and into the home half, before feeding Doherty, whose effort cannoned off a Burnley defender and nicely for Jimenez, who instinctively arrowed a volley from the edge of the box into beyond Pope.
That was the goal Wolves had been looking for and, at this point, Burnley had to come out. That, instead, created space for Wolves to hit them on the break and substitute Pedro Neto was foiled by Pope, after the England stopper had kept out Willy Boly’s header.
However, more drama was to come. First, Wood headed wide from an open goal, but the New Zealand international was given a second opportunity when Doherty was deemed to have handled in the area and Wood found the top corner from the spot.
Full-time: Burnley 1 Wolves 1
Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Long, Tarkowski, Taylor (Gudmundsson 30), Pieters, Brownhill (Brady 85), Westwood, McNeil, Wood, Rodriguez (Vydra 51).
Unused subs: Peacock-Farrell, Thompson, Dunne, Benson, Goodridge, Glennon.
Wolves: Patricio, Traore, Boly, Coady, Saiss, Vinagre (Jonny 84), Neves, Moutinho, Podence (Doherty 70), Jimenez (Dendoncker 84), Jota (Neto 78).
Unused subs: Ruddy, Buur, Kilman, Jordao, Gibbs-White.
