Deadlock at Turf Moor as Burnley and Bournemouth fail to score

By By Eleanor Crooks, Press Association

Burnley and Bournemouth played out a tepid goalless draw at Turf Moor that does little to help either team’s Premier League ambitions.

The Clarets managed just a fourth clean sheet in the league this season but remain eight points adrift of safety with only eight games left, while Bournemouth are now unbeaten in 10 matches but really needed three points to boost their European hopes.

Both teams hit the woodwork while Evanilson had a very early shot cleared off the line but neither did enough to merit victory.

Burnley were boosted by the return from injury of joint top scorer Zian Flemming while Bournemouth were without Tyler Adams after he felt some discomfort in training.

The hosts were looking to use the sense of injustice from their chaotic and controversial 4-3 loss to Brentford a fortnight ago, when they fought back from three down only to be denied a last-gasp equaliser by VAR.

A limp loss to Everton followed but they were quickly out of the blocks here, with Jaidon Anthony cutting in from the left only to screw his shot wide of the near post.

Moments later Bournemouth almost broke the deadlock after a ball through the middle from Junior Kroupi sent Evanilson away.

Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and defender Maxime Esteve got in each other’s way but Evanilson was forced wide and his shot was cleared off the line by Bashir Humphreys.

Flemming drew a save from Djordje Petrovic with a well-struck shot from wide on the right, while at the other end an ambitious effort from Marcus Tavernier was comfortable for Dubravka.

Having withstood a period of pressure, Burnley enjoyed the best of the rest of the first half and would have felt unfortunate to go in level at the break.

Anthony drew a full-length diving save from Petrovic while Flemming chose to square to Lyle Foster after muscling his way through but played the ball behind the South African and he was crowded out.

Humphreys then saw a goal-bound shot deflected over, and they came even closer three minutes before the break from another James Ward-Prowse corner that Anthony ran onto unmarked at the far post only to crash his shot off the bar.

The dangerous winger threatened again eight minutes after the break but this time was denied by a brilliant block from Adam Smith.

Bournemouth broke down the other end and Tavernier clipped the outside of the post with a curling shot that seemed to have Dubravka beaten while Flemming headed over for Burnley.

The away fans were screaming for a red card after Hannibal Mejbri slid in late on Adrien Truffert, leaving the Frenchman writhing in pain, but the on-field decision of a yellow card stood.

Evanilson’s appeals for a penalty after he fell between two Burnley defenders also left referee Peter Bankes unmoved, and the hosts survived some late scares through eight minutes of added time.