Burnley came from a goal down to win at nine-man Watford and take a big step towards sealing automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
Strikes either side of half-time from striker Zian Flemming and captain Josh Brownhill saw Burnley recover after Mamadou Doumbia gave Watford an early lead.
Leeds United’s 1-0 win at Oxford meant they lead the table on goal difference from Scott Parker’s side, who equalled the club’s record unbeaten league run of 30 games.
The Clarets are just the second team in Championship history to go 30 consecutive, non play-off games without losing after Reading.
And Burnley can rubber-stamp their top-flight return as early as Monday if they beat third-placed Sheffield United at home.
Mid-table Watford, who dropped a place to 12th following this defeat, ended the game with nine men after they had both their captain Moussa Sissoko and then Edo Kayembe sent off.
Watford started positively and were rewarded in the eighth minute when Doumbia headed in Rocco Vata’s left-wing cross, ending Burnley’s hopes of claiming an English record-equalling 30th clean sheet of the season at Vicarage Road.
Flemming passed up two chances to level for Burnley, and Parker’s men were fortunate not to fall a further goal behind midway through the half.
After more good work down Watford’s left, Caleb Wiley crossed for Kayembe but he could not keep his header down, instead directing the ball over.
Burnley dominated possession after that without overly troubling Watford goalkeeper Egil Selvik until a frantic finish to the first half.
Firstly, Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford produced a stunning flying save to fingertip Kayembe’s drive on to the crossbar.
While Trafford was still celebrating his save, the first of his three standout stops during the game, Burnley launched an attack of their own which ended with Flemming nodding in Jaidon Anthony’s cross.
Anthony then tested Selvik before Trafford denied Kayembe at full-stretch once again, and the two teams went in level at the break.
Just before the hour, though, Burnley completed the turnaround. Following a slick passing move down the right, Connor Roberts’ cross to the far post was knocked back into the middle by Hannibal Mejbri and Brownhill headed the visitors in front.
Watford then suffered a double blow to their hopes of staging a recovery of their own when Sissoko and then Kayembe were dismissed, both after being shown two yellow cards in quick succession.
With their two-man advantage, Burnley were the most likely next scorers and Brownhill was denied a second by Selvik.
But they also had to remain alert at the death and needed a last-ditch CJ Egan-Riley tackle on Vakoun Bayo, and another big Trafford save to keep out Ryan Andrews’ effort to preserve their lead.
BBC
