One of two lengthy winless runs was likely to fall on the south coast today, and it looked as though Brighton’s six-match dry spell in the PL would be the one ending when they thought they’d nosed ahead in the opening 10 minutes.
Yasin Ayari’s deft ball over the top freed Charalampos Kostoulas in behind Lucas Pires, but as the Seagulls’ frontman arrowed an effort into the far corner, he was adjudged to have strayed offside in the build-up.
Brighton’s pressure was relentless in the opening exchanges, with them squandering a great chance midway through the first half when an unmarked Lewis Dunk powered a header over from eight yards out.
It felt like only a matter of time before Brighton nosed in front, and that goal duly arrived shortly before the half-hour mark. Georginio Rutter’s jinking run from the right ended with the ball falling kindly for Diego Gomez, whose blocked shot bounced back favourably for Rutter to hammer home an effort past a helpless Martin Dubravka.
Burnley only had one effort on goal in the entire half, and it ought to have yielded an equaliser when Pires’ marauding run down the left culminated in him firing an effort goalwards that Bart Verbruggen stopped well with his feet.
The half-time team talk from Burnley boss Parker would’ve been based around staying in the game as long as possible, but that plan went out the window within two minutes of the restart when Ayari picked up a loose ball and arrowed an effort into the far corner.
Parker made three early second-half changes in a desperate bid to get his side back into the game, and one of those almost paid dividends when Loum Tchaouna’s header was cleared off the line by Ferdi Kadioglu.
Considering Burnley were 2-0 down, their primary objective seemed to be defending a two-goal deficit, in what was a damning indictment of where Parker’s men are at the moment.
A heartwarming return to the AMEX Stadium for Pascal Gross was a small flashpoint in an otherwise drab second half, which was dominated by a Brighton side who provisionally climbed up to eighth.
Burnley remain six points adrift of safety, and with a tough run of fixtures approaching, things are looking fairly bleak for them.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Yasin Ayari (Brighton)
