Report: Blackburn Rovers undone as Manuel Benson wins it for Burnley

Winger Benson was on for just eight minutes when he bent a curling shot out of reach of Aynsley Pears in what was the Clarets’ only shot on target.

It was harsh on Rovers who had dominated to that point, but lacking the clinical edge in the final third to turn that territory into clear-cut chances.

Benson’s goal was the moment of quality the Clarets had been waiting for, and they managed the closing stages well to secure the title and put a dent in Rovers’ play-off hopes.

It leaves Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side likely needing two wins from their remaining two matches if they are to finish in the top six.

The Rovers side showed two changes, with Ben Brereton and Ryan Hedges in for Sorba Thomas and the injured Tyler Morton.

For Burnley there was no Jordan Beyer in the squad, while Vitinho was preferred over Manuel Benson as part of three alterations.

As it was at Turf Moor, it was a tactical battle in the early stages between both sides who were working out how the other was playing amid a cacophony of noise from the stands.

Burnley were committing men forward, pressing Rovers high and not allowing them to play out from the back with the ease they would have hoped.

It almost paid dividends 10 minutes in as Anass Zaroury looked to have pounced on a Hayden Carter slip, with the defender recovering just in time at the expense of a corner.

The stakes and tension were high, not that it told on Adam Wharton who strolled his way through the game like it was a kick-about, as Rovers grew into proceedings.

They would have been happy with the opening quarter as tackles flew in, many of which they were getting the better of, and in doing so kept the crowd right behind them.

A lack of quality from set pieces meant they didn’t make the most of the territory they had enjoyed, but they were right up for it as their intensity smothered the Clarets who struggled to gain the dominance of possession they would have targeted.

Rovers’ set piece count rising, and from a 30th minute Ryan Hedges delivery, Joe Rankin-Costello glanced wide of the target, while a looping Tyrhys Dolan header from a Harry Pickering cross was easy for Arijanet Muric.

A short free-kick ended with Sam Szmodics’ shot being deflected over his own bar as Rovers grew in confidence. That came after Josh Brownhill was shown the first yellow card of the night for a wild swipe at Wharton who was enjoying himself on what was just his 10th Championship stary.

Dom Hyam shot straight at Muric was the visitors failed to deal with a right wing set play as Rovers went into the break the happier.

Burnley had been stifled by Rovers’ pressing, unable to get their midfield players into the game, as Aynsley Pears went through the opening half without a shot to save.

Within 90 seconds of the restart Rankin-Costello joined Brownhill in the referee’s notebook for a foul on Zaroury who had been Burnley’s brightest light, yet Rovers were soon on the attack.

Hedges delivered a near cross from the left that was flicked goalwards by Szmodics, but not with enough power to trouble Muric who held.

Muric would likely have had a more testing save had Dolan left Rankin-Costello’s cross for the better-positioned Hyam in the 53rd minute, but Rovers had picked up where they had left off.

Josh Cullen and Ian Maatsen were booked in quick succession for halting Rovers breaks, which prompted Vincent Kompany into a change as Jack Cork was sent on to add more steel in midfield, while Benson replaced Vitinho.

Cork didn’t take long to have an impact, given a ticking off for a foul on Wharton and then booked within six minutes of his arrival for a forceful challenge on Dolan.

While Cork had an early say on the game, Benson made a more positive one to give his side the lead just before the midway point of the second half.

It came from the Clarets’ first shot on target of the game, but was a moment of quality as Benson cut inside Pickering to bend a shot beyond Pears from the right edge of the box.

The disappointment for Rovers was that Carter was caught on the ball on halfway when trying to bring it out of defence in the lead up to the goal, with Pickering, booked moments before, left isolated up against Benson.

The Burnley goal had not only given them the lead, but dealt a blow to Rovers who struggled to respond, making a triple switch with 16 minutes to go as Callum Brittain, Sorba Thomas and Bradley Dack were all sent on.

Burnley were managing the game well, though goalkeeper Muric did see yellow for timewasting with still nine minutes remaining.

Harry Leonard arrived as a final throw of the dice, replacing Travis, but the ball continued to be at the wrong end of the pitch for Rovers as four minutes were added on.

Pears went up for an injury-time corner, but unlikely Coventry City counterpart Ben Wilson a week ago, didn’t have the same fortune, with a Burnley breakaway seeing Benson hit the bar from distance as the Rovers ‘keeper raced back.

That came after appeals for handball, when Brittain’s shot his Barnes were waved away, in what was a frantic finish.

Rovers: Pears, Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Pickering (Callum Brittain, 74), Travis (Leonard, 84), A Wharton, Szmodics, Hedges (Sorba Thomas, 74), Dolan (Bradley Dack, 74) Brereton

Subs: Kaminski, Phillips, Garrett

Burnley: Muric, Roberts, Al-Dakhil, Taylor, Maatsen (Harwood-Bellis, 90), Brownhill, Cullen, Gudmundsson (Cork, 58), Vitinho (Benson, 58), Zaroury (Rodriguez, 90) Barnes

Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Harwood-Bellis, Foster, Obafemi