Burnley secured their second win of the season after edging past Stoke City 2-1 thanks to Danny Ings's first-half brace at the Britannia Stadium.
The England Under-21 striker's quickfire double on the quarter-hour mark shocked the Potters, who set about trying to reduce the deficit immediately.
The Clarets hung on for dear life as Mark Hughes's charges powered forward at every opportunity, but Sean Dyche's men were able to hang on for their second win on the bounce.
Find out how the game unfolded with Sports Mole's live match commentary below.
Good afternoon folks, and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of this afternoon's clash between Stoke City and Burnley!
So then, the international break is out of the way, and we can get back to business domestically! Both of today's teams did well prior to the break, so they will both be hoping that they can get back to business.
Sean Dyche's squad remain at the bottom of the Premier League table, but ended a 10-match wait for a win this campaign courtesy of a second-half Ashley Barnes header against Hull City a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, Mark Hughes's men won 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur before the break, and will be eager to maintain their good form at home. The Potters have won two and drawn one of their last three top-flight matches at the Britannia.
Now, time for the team news...
STOKE CITY STARTING XI: Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Cameron, Muniesa; Nzonzi, Sidwell; Walters, Bojan, Moses; Diouf
BURNLEY STARTING XI: Heaton; Ward, Shackell, Duff, Trippier; Boyd, Jones, Marney, Kightly; Barnes, Ings
STOKE SUBS: Sorensen, Whelan, Ireland, Arnautovic, Adam, Assaidi, Crouch
BURNLEY SUBS: Gilks, Sordell, Mee, Reid, Jutkiewicz, Wallace, Keane
So that's two changes for the Potters, as Marc Muniesa comes into their starting XI in place of Erik Pieters, while Geoff Cameron replaces Marc Wilson, who sustained a hamstring injury at White Hart Lane a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, just one solitary change for Sean Dyche's charges this afternoon, with Scott Arfield making way in midfield for Michael Kightly.
Burnley may be struggling at the foot of the table, but they made headlines for the right reasons this week after a BBC study showed that the Clarets are solely responsible for the 4% rise in top-flight game time handed to British players this term.
Stoke too maintain a reasonable quota of British talent, but it was one of their continental signings who stole the show two weeks ago at White Hart Lane, as Bojan Krkic came to life with his first goal for the club since his summer arrival from Barcelona. The former Roma and Ajax forward will be given another opportunity to impress behind lone striker Mame Biram Diouf today.
Over the years, meetings between these two have been rather goal-shy. There has only been one occasion in the last nine clashes between them when either team has scored more than one goal. That was Stoke's 2-0 victory over Burnley in August 2009.
Also, three of the previous four matches between Stoke and Burnley have ended in draws. Is today scheduled to end as a goalless draw, given the historical stats between the two sides? Well, you never know in football.
PUNDIT TIME! Let's hear what the chaps at Sports Mole HQ have to say about today's clash.
Another interesting statistic is that Stoke City have historically found the month of November very fruitful - the Potters have lost only one of their last 10 Premier League games in the penultimate month of the year, winning five and drawing four.
Both of today's competitors have been somewhat brittle at the back this season, with Mark Hughes' side having kept just two clean sheets in their 11 league games. Meanwhile, the Clarets' 1-0 win against the Tigers two weeks ago gave them their first clean sheet in six matches. So maybe there may be a few goals in today's game, after all?
In addition, Stoke and Burnley have notable Achilles heels - the hosts have conceded a league-high 46 percent of their goals from set pieces, while the away side have conceded an unrivalled eight headed goals in the league this season.
Clarets manager Dyche highlighted the importance of having achieved that first Premier League win prior to the game, and is hoping to use it as a springboard to propel the promoted side higher up the division.
He told reporters: "It is important to get that first win of course, psychologically for the players, for their belief, and for the town's belief that we can at least compete and give everything in this division to make what everyone is saying is the impossible, possible."
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PREDICTION: Just ten minutes until kickoff at the Britannia, so it's time for me to (try and) predict the result. I reckon Stoke will be just too strong for the Clarets, with Bojan to put in a sterling display on the way to a 2-0 win for the hosts.
Both teams have gone back into the dressing rooms, and will be coming out again shortly to get this game underway. Which way will the game go? Will Stoke prove too strong for the bottom side, or will Burnley build on their first win of the season and claim more points at the Britannia? Stay tuned in to Sports Mole and find out!
Both sides have emerged from the tunnel - kick off is imminent!
KICKOFF! Referee Martin Atkinson blows his whistle, Stoke kick off, and we are officially underway here at the Britannia Stadium!
Free kick to the Clarets as Boyd is hacked down by Shawcross, but the subsequent set piece comes to nothing.
The home side threaten as Sidwell frees Moses inside the opposition half, but the latter's ball to Bojan is overhit.
Little happening inside the opening five minutes here. Some tentative probings forward by both sides, but nothing concrete. No chances on goal thus far, but Burnley will be marginally happier.
Kightly tries to push forward into the Stoke box, but the referee stops him after an apparent handball. Some good link-up play between himself and Barnes in the lead-up, though.
Sidwell fouls Ings just inside the Burnley half, with a free kick awarded. The set piece falls to Trippier, but he isn't able to make the most of it, and it goes out for a Stoke goal-kick.
GOAL! STOKE CITY 0-1 BURNLEY (INGS)
Well well well, the visitors are ahead! Barnes whips a cross into the area, and after Kightly challenges goalkeeper Begovic, the ball falls to Ings who duly prods home!
GOAL! STOKE CITY 0-2 BURNLEY (INGS)
What a start for the Clarets! Less than quarter of an hour played and the side at the foot of the table are two goals up at the Britannia! Kightly sends an inch-perfect cross from the flank to Ings, who strikes from six yards out to double their lead!
The game has well and truly exploded! Two goals in under two minutes have left the hosts with a lot of work to do.
A clash of heads between Diouf and Shackell following a Bojan cross sees the whistle blown by referee Atkinson.
N'Zonzi is penalised for a foul on Ings in the Clarets half. Good job that he didn't make contact, because it was a reckless challenge and the ref could have brandished a card.
Boyd cuts in from the right and looks to test Begovic but it's ultimately comfortable for the keeper, the shot is straight at him.
A free kick is awarded to Stoke after Bojan is felled outside the Burnley box by Marney, but the resulting free kick is poor and strikes the wall. Sidwell then volleys the rebound wide from the edge of the area.
BOOKING: Diouf is shown a yellow card for a foul on Duff, which sees the defender receive treatment on the pitch following the challenge.
CHANCE! Bojan whips a great delivery into the Burnley area where Diouf is ready to poke home, but Duff clears with a last-gasp hack. Stoke back into life.
GOAL! STOKE CITY 1-2 BURNLEY (WALTERS)
Game on! The Potters embarked on a period of high pressure, and the visitors duly crumble! Bojan's cross from the right finds Walters, and the 31-year-old nods a header past Heaton!
CHANCE! Stoke finally seem to have woken up from their early-game slumber here, and are constantly threatening Burnley. Moses whips a corner from the right-hand side, but Sidwell's header floats just over.
CHANCE! And the Potters keep coming! Moses weaved his way past several Burnley defenders before firing a shot towards goal, but Heaton pulled off a smart save to deny the hosts an equaliser.
BOOKING: First booking of the day for the Clarets, as Ings sees yellow for a challenge on Muniesa.
CHANCE! Now Burnley are pushing forward again, in a bid to reclaim control of a game that is slipping from their very fingers. Barnes, however, blasts his shot wide after gathering possession on the edge of the Stoke area.
The assistant indicates three minutes of added-on time at the end of this first half.
CHANCE! The hosts come forward again as Moses curls a strike towards goal, but Heaton punches away.
The game is momentarily stopped as Ings receives treatment following a head injury.
HALF-TIME: STOKE CITY 1-2 BURNLEY
It's a good job I wrote a disclaimer prior to kickoff saying that anything can happen in football, because the first half was riveting, topsy-turvy stuff. With less than quarter of an hour played, the hosts found themselves two goals down in the space of two minutes, courtesy of Ings's quickfire brace, but after that, it's been virtually all Stoke, with Walters's strike halving the deficit. Burnley hang on to a lead, but only just. The second half will be interesting.
Here's a picture of Ings celebrating his first goal with his teammates, but will they still be smiling come the final whistle?
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Stoke have been nothing short of rampant following their woeful start. They've dominated possession and have had more shots on target than their opponents today. If they can pick up from where they left off at the end of the first half, they could pull this game right back. But as I previously said - in football, you never know!
Burnley have now conceded nine headed goals in the Premier League this season following Walters's goal this afternoon. Dyche will really need to address this if his side is to try and survive relegation this season.
RESTART! We're back underway here at the Britannia. The game was delayed in first-half injury time following a break in play due to Ings having incurred a head injury, but Atkinson now blows the whistle and we're back in action. What more excitement will the second half bring?
Stoke had 67 percent possession in the first half, and from the off, they're keeping the ball quite well in these second-half opening exchanges.
CHANCE! Stoke are going for it now. An early goal would ease their nerves here, but Moses fires high and wide from 20 yards. That was rather audacious.
CHANCE! It's the home side again, who come very close to finding the equaliser here at the Britannia, as Diouf heads just inches wide from Bojan's cross. Did the ex-Manchester United striker handle the ball? The referee doesn't intervene.
Taking the lead very early on - particularly a multi-goal lead - always has its downsides, in that the opposition team has plenty of time to reorganise and pull it back. Which is exactly what appears to be happening here today. Burnley will need to think and act fast if they are to hang onto their lead.
STOKE SUBSTITUTION: Moses comes off for Arnautovic.
CHANCE! Stoke are really hammering at the Burnley door here, as N'Zonzi blasts over from the edge of the area following a low Walters cross. Still, the visitors are in the lead, which seems bizarre now on the balance of play.
BOOKING: Sidwell is booked for a rash challenge on Kightly.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Both sides make changes on the hour, with Crouch replacing Diouf for Stoke and Burnley's Kightly making way for Jutkiewicz.
Crouch beats Duff and Shackell in the Burnley box before the ball falls to Arnautovic, but the Austrian's shot is saved by Heaton at his near post. It wouldn't have mattered, as the effort is judged to be offside.
CHANCE! But moments later, the same player has another chance to strike after cutting inside following Walters's pass on the left flank. However, despite no referee intervention, Arnautovic's shot is dragged just wide.
BOOKING: Burnley goalkeeper Heaton is booked for time wasting. The visitors hanging on by a thread here.
CHANCE! And it's the home side once again, as Bojan's cross is headed towards goal by Crouch, but the effort goes wide. Walters was there at the far post too.
CHANCE! A Stoke corner isn't cleared properly and the ball falls to Bardsley, but his strike is dragged wide as Crouch struggles to latch on to it.
BURNLEY SUBSTITUTION: A defensive change here for Sean Dyche's charges, as Duff is replaced by Keane.
STOKE SUBSTITUTION: Adam replaces Sidwell here at the Britannia, the home side still a goal behind.
Less than ten minutes to go here, and Stoke have just earned their 12th corner. But like all the others, it comes to little. Burnley are hanging on by the skin of their teeth here, and the latter stages of this second half will surely be gung-ho.
The hosts look to fashion another chance here, Bojan sending a ball through a ruck of players, but Muniesa's cross deflects back off him and goes out for a goal kick. Time is running out for Mark Hughes's side here.
CHANCE! Stoke continuing to apply pressure. Adam gathers the ball on the edge of the area, gets sight of goal and hits a strike that stings Heaton's gloves and is ultimately saved.
BURNLEY SUBSTITUTION: Two-goal striker Ings is brought off, with Steven Reid coming on in his place.
CHANCE! It truly is last-chance saloon now for the Potters, as Arnautovic's cross falls to Crouch in a good position, but again, the ensuing effort flies wide! And moments later, Adam has a pop, but the ball falls kindly for Heaton following a deflection.
The fourth official indicates five minutes of stoppage time here at the Britannia. Five minutes for Stoke to fashion an equaliser?
CHANCE! Need we ask which side just had a chance? Muniesa's left-footed drive is dragged wide from outside the area, and Stoke are running out of time fast.
CHANCE! Oh my! You know you're desperate for a goal when your goalkeeper comes up... a Stoke corner is taken short, and Begovic heads over from the resulting cross! Madness!
FULL TIME: STOKE CITY 1-2 BURNLEY
Wow. What an incredible game. And so, Burnley go from strength to strength, securing their first away win of the season and also making it two wins on the spin, but they had to work very hard for it - and luck played a part in this also - because Stoke accrued a gargantuan 25 shots during the game. Crazy stuff!
Stoke now find themselves 10th in the Premier League table, while Burnley climb off the bottom and are within touching distance from safety!
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So that's all we've got time for this afternoon, but stay tuned to Sports Mole for all the latest reaction and news from the game at the Britannia. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your day!
Written by
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte
