BURNLEY CLINCHED THE Sky Bet Championship title with a gritty 1-0 win at rivals Blackburn.
Vincent Kompany’s men were far from their vintage best in a keenly contested east Lancashire derby but displayed why they are champions with a dogged determination to keep Blackburn out and a moment of magic midway through the second half through Manuel Benson’s sumptuous curling strike.
Benson’s 12th goal of the season – Burnley’s only shot on target – was a goal worthy of winning the league and to do so at the home of their fiercest rivals caps a perfect season for the Clarets, who could still top the 100-point mark.
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side put in another spirited performance but it was painfully obvious their visitors possess the firepower they lack after they got into plenty of promising positions but could not fashion a telling contribution.
Rovers remain outside the play-offs on goal difference after their winless run stretched to seven matches.
A broken metatarsal ruled Tyler Morton out for the season so Rovers had to reshuffle, with Ben Brereton Diaz and Ryan Hedges recalled. Burnley, meanwhile, opted to start with a different centre-back pairing in Charlie Taylor and Ameen Al-Dakhil.
Al-Dakhil glanced a header wide early on but Burnley offered little else as Blackburn nullified their opponents.
Tyrhys Dolan saw a header saved midway through the half and Joe Rankin-Costello had a better chance soon after but he headed wide from close range.
Blackburn’s fans were encouraged by their team’s courage to push the Clarets high up the pitch, and Dominic Hyam saw a shot saved by Arijanet Muric late in the first half.
It felt like the pressure was building and only a stunning 61st-minute from Al-Dakhil prevented Brereton Diaz from pulling the trigger inside the area after he had taken the ball down with a wonderful first touch.
However, the Clarets showed why they are going up with the game’s only breakthrough in the 66th minute.
Benson jinked down the right before cutting in on his left foot and curling an unstoppable effort into the left corner of the net past Aynsley Pears’ despairing dive.
Benson tried to repeat the trick 11 minutes from time but this time got it all wrong and smashed his shot over the bar.
Gaps opened up for the visitors as Blackburn pushed for an equaliser and Benson almost scored a spectacular second late in added time as he chased a loose ball on the left with Pears scrambling back from a Rovers corner but his effort clipped the bar.
It did not matter though and the celebrations in the away end at Ewood Park were jubilant.
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