HARRY KANE SCORED on his return from injury but Tottenham’s Premier League title charge was halted with a 2-1 defeat at Burnley courtesy of Ashley Barnes’ late strike.
Spurs were looking to add to a run of four consecutive wins and would have moved within two points of leaders Manchester City and Liverpool with a victory at Turf Moor this afternoon.
But in-form Burnley posed a strong challenge and the Clarets took the lead through Chris Wood’s header – the result of a Dwight McNeil corner the visitors felt was incorrectly awarded.
Kane, who was sidelined for six weeks by an ankle problem, appeared to have claimed a point for Spurs but Barnes – who has now scored in four consecutive top-flight outings – turned in decisively from close range with seven minutes to go.
Hugo Lloris looked uncomfortable under a couple of early high balls, while the returning Kane rifled a left-footed drive wide in the 16th minute.
As the game opened up, Tom Heaton easily denied Christian Eriksen before Barnes whistled a first-time strike narrowly over the crossbar.
Kane’s swerving 25-yard strike forced a superb save from Heaton after the break but it was the Clarets who took the lead in the 57th minute.
McNeil’s in-swinging corner from the right wing found Wood rising above the Tottenham defence to nod home his sixth goal in eight Premier League matches.
Mauricio Pochettino sent on Fernando Llorente to join Kane in attack and the England captain levelled just eight minutes after Wood’s opener.
Rose caught Burnley’s defence cold with a clever throw-in that sent Kane through to beat Heaton with a cute finish.
But as Spurs pushed for a winner they were downed by Barnes, who showed a poacher’s instinct to arrive at the back post and convert a cross-shot from substitute Johann Gudmundsson.
Spurs’ title charge halted
A three-way challenge for the league looked on the cards, with Spurs putting pressure on City and Liverpool thanks to a fine run of results despite the absence of Kane in recent weeks.
But defeat at Burnley represents a missed opportunity, especially with City not in league action this weekend – a fact apparently not lost on Pochettino as he raged at referee Mike Dean following the final whistle.
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