Burnley 3-1 Sunderland
David Nugent rarely featured for Portsmouth last season
Also In The News
|
By inthenews. |  |
Saturday, 19, Sep 2009 03:07
By Darren Plant.
On-loan striker David Nugent scored twice after coming on as a substitute to fire Burnley to an impressive 3-1 home victory over Sunderland in the Premier League's early kick-off on Saturday.
The Portsmouth man, who is at Turf Moor until January with a view to a permanent deal, netted a brace in the second half after Graham Alexander and Black Cats striker Darren Bent had each found the net.
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce had preferred Fraizer Campbell to Kenwyne Jones, and he could have brought the visitors an early goal.
In the second minute, he broke down the right and his driven cross was parried away by Brian Jensen, and a few minutes later Andy Reid found him in the Burnley box, but his poor control meant the chance was spurned.
The home side had been second best in the opening exchanges, but a sharp turn and stinging effort from Steven Fletcher brought the Burnley fans to life, and it wasn't long before they were cheering again as their side broke the deadlock.
Wade Elliott was needlessly brought down in the box by Anton Ferdinand, and skipper Alexander dispatched the penalty down the centre of Craig Gordon's goal.
Sunderland's response was muted, but they were nearly gifted a goal by Andre Bikey. He failed to deal with a high ball and Bent pounced, but his volley was comfortably saved by Jensen.
However, Bent didn't waste the next opportunity gifted to him by the shaky Burnley backline.
Kieron Richardson weaved his way inside, playing the ball to Bent. The Burnley defence played the offside trap perfectly, except for Clarke Carlisle, which left Bent on his own to calmly place the ball past Jensen.
Chances were few and far between at the start of the second half, but Campbell should have put the away side in front.
Reid chipped the ball to the back post where Steed Malbranque headed the ball back across goal. A dummy by Bent saw the ball fall to Campbell, but his powerful shot was beaten away by Jensen.
Coyle introduced Nugent just before the hour mark, hoping to change the flow of the match, and his decision did just that.
Tyrone Mears set up Elliott to cross the ball into the penalty area, and Nugent rose above Michael Turner to head into the roof of the net.
Nugent, on loan till January, took 13 hours to break his Portsmouth duck, but he scored his second in twenty minutes in a Burley shirt with four minutes remaining to wrap up three points for his new side.
Elliott and Mears again combined to set up the England international, who turned Cana and curled a precise left foot shot into the top corner to send Burnley into the top half of the table.