Charlie Taylor's first Burnley goal wasn't enough as the Clarets fell to a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth.
Taylor opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a sweet strike on his 198th appearance for the club, but Antoine Semenyo’s fine solo effort ensured it was all square at half-time.
No winner appeared likely in the pouring rain but after the visitors gave away possession inside their own half, Billing spotted James Trafford off his line and chipped the ball home from range.
Bournemouth did require VAR to intervene after Jay Rodriguez found the net late on but – after six minutes of deliberation by David Coote at Stockley Park – it was eventually ruled out for offside.
Most of the early action was in the Burnley half, with poor passes from Billing and Marcus Tavernier halting dangerous attacks before the latter had a free-kick punched over by Trafford.
It was a long pass by the England Under-21 goalkeeper that helped Kompany's side get on the front foot and they took the lead through an unlikely source.
Johann Gudmundsson’s delivery was only partially cleared by Illia Zabarnyi to Dara O’Shea, who cushioned a header into the path of Taylor and the left-back rifled home with a sweet strike from 22 yards to score for the first time since 2015.
Burnley’s joy should have been shortlived when the recalled Semenyo was played in down the right and picked out Tavernier, but the left winger side-footed into the ground and over from six yards.
Semenyo had been Bournemouth’s brightest attacker though and it was no surprise when he conjured up the equaliser.
Taylor was at fault after Semenyo robbed the goalscorer of possession before he waltzed into the area and steered a left-footed shot through O’Shea’s legs to level after 22 minutes.
Buoyed by the equaliser, Bournemouth finished the half strongly with Chris Mepham’s header tipped over by Trafford, but it remained 1-1 at the break.
Kompany had seen enough and introduced Rodriguez for Zeki Amdouni during the interval, although it failed to have the desired effect.
Trafford continued to be the busier of the two goalkeepers, but punched away another Tavernier cross before he blocked Semenyo’s close-range effort to keep his side in it.
Sander Berge was thrown on by Kompany on the hour mark with the match appearing to peter out to a draw, but Billing had other ideas.
After Vitinho gave away the ball under pressure by the halfway line, Billing controlled and lobbed over Trafford from 40 yards before he displayed a T-shirt which read ‘we are the children, we are the world’, in celebration.
The drama was not over there with Rodriguez able to find the net in the 89th minute although the assistant referee immediately put his flag up.
VAR reviewed the incident and after a six-minute check it was finally deemed offside before Bournemouth were indebted to Andrei Radu, who saved two efforts by Berge deep into stoppage-time to secure a priceless win for Iraola’s men.
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