Burnley vs Everton match report: Scott Arfield secures crucial win for Clarets in scrappy affair as Toffees come up short

Burnley 2 Everton 1: Ronald Koeman's side failed to capitalise on their dominance as Burnley celebrate a welcome victory

Burnley players celebrate after Scott Arfield's winner against Everton (Getty)

If Burnley are to preserve their Premier League status this season, they will need more afternoons like this one at Turf Moor – an afternoon when they fought for every ball, expended every ounce of energy and, when it matted, managed to summon enough quality to snatch three points at the last from technically superior opponents.

The match winner was Scott Arfield, scorer of a fine 90th-minute winning goal, yet there were plenty of other heroes in claret and blue, not least goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who made a key save from Yannick Bolasie as Everton pushed for a winning goal, and centre-backs Michael Keane and Ben Mee who each made vital interceptions to deny Romelu Lukaku.

The consequence was a third win of the season for Sean Dyche’s 14th-placed side, who have now accrued ten Premier League points – all of them at Turf Moor.

Given that they had lost to an illegitimate, injury-time Arsenal goal in their last fixture, the manner of this victory was all the sweeter. It was delivered by the right foot of Arfield, who drove the ball past a flat-footed Maarten Stekelenburg after a Johann Berg Gudmundsson shot had rebounded out off the crossbar in the final minute.

Sam Vokes fires the ball into the net to give Burnley the lead (Getty)

“A sublime finish” was the verdict of a delighted Dyche. “Overall I like the fact we got back to what we are about,” he added. “We’re authentic in what we are. We are not trying to kid anything or brand ourselves or tell the world we’re going to play like Barcelona, we’re telling the world we’re going to give everything to continue to be in the Premier League.”

Defeat was a bitter blow for Everton given they, not Burnley had looked the likely winners after Yannick Bolasie had cancelled out Sam Vokes’s first-half goal with a thumping strike in the 58th minute. After a bright start to the season, Ronald Koeman’s men have won none of their last five matches and the Dutchman said: “It is very hard to take going home with no points, but that happens because that is football – football is not always what you deserve.”

No Burnley player did more to frustrate Everton than their England keeper Heaton. He had made more saves than any other Premier League goalkeeper at the start of play – and that statistic is likely to remain unchanged after a busy afternoon for the home captain. Inside the first minute he was saving from Kevin Mirallas, who should have done better after a mix-up between Keane and Mee gave him a clear sight of goal.

During a bright start by Everton, Heaton also saved from Lukaku and the recalled Ross Barkley before a terrific block from Dean Marney denied Mirallas. The absence of injured playmaker Steven Defour did not help Burnley yet they stuck to their task, with Mee producing a brilliant tackle to thwart Lukaku as he powered through.

Sam Vokes celebrates after giving Burnley the lead (Getty)

It was an increasingly scruffy contest – not helped by Mike Jones’s fussy refereeing – and Burnley’s opening goal was in keeping with that. If Arfield did well on a run to the edge of the box, his ensuing, deflected shot should not have troubled Stekelenburg yet the Everton goalkeeper could only push the ball weakly to Vokes, who slotted home. Stekelenburg had saved two penalties at Manchester City last weekend but this was less impressive from the Dutchman.

Everton’s response was to pin Burnley back in the second half. Lukaku was a whisker away from turning in a Mirallas centre and instead it was Bolasie who equalised with his first goal since his £25m summer arrival at Goodison Park. Mee failed to intercept a ball down the inside-right channel and Lukaku brought it forward before Bolasie took over and flashed a shot of stunning pace and power into the far corner from the right side of the box.

Yannick Bolasie celebrates after scoring Everton's equaliser (Getty)

Bolasie nearly had an even more spectacular second goal, dipping in a shot from 30 yards which Heaton tipped over. “There was a higher tempo and better football,” said Koeman of Everton’s second-half efforts, but thanks to Arfield, they went home empty-handed.

Teams

Burnley (4-2-3-1): Heaton, Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward (Flanagan 83), Marney, Hendrick, Gudmundsson, Arfield, Kightly (Tarkowski 74), Vokes (Bamford 89) Subs not used: Robinson (gk), Darikwa, Long, O’Neill

Everton (4-2-3-1): Stekelenburg; Coleman, Jagielka (Valencia 91), Williams, Oviedo; Gana (Cleverley 83), Barry; Bolasie, Barkley, Mirallas (Deulofeu 76) Subs not used: Robles (gk), Lennon, Funes Mori, Holgate

Man of match: Heaton

Match rating: 7/10