Ben Mee header powers Burnley to victory over Tottenham

Clarets deliver blow to Spurs' top-four ambitions

Burnley's Ben Mee celebrates scoring at Turf Moor. Picture: Ian Hodgson/PA Wire

Burnley 1 Tottenham 0 

Richard Tanner

After the euphoria of their last-gasp win at the Etihad, Tottenham were brought crashing back to earth as Burnley boosted their survival hopes with a battling win in atrocious conditions at Turf Moor.

Ben Mee's towering header in the 71st minute was enough to give Sean Dyche's team back-to-back wins for the first time this season and closed the gap on fourth-from-bottom Newcastle to just two points - with a game in hand.

Defeats for fellow strugglers Watford and Leeds made it an even better night for the Clarets who have become experts at fighting their way out of trouble over the years. But it was a deeply frustrating night for Antonio Conte and his Tottenham players who were hoping to build on their stunning 3-2 win over Manchester City and improve their top four hopes.

They were unlucky when Harry Kane's header struck the bar early in the second half but were second best for much of the game to a fired-up Burnley side who should have wrapped it up in the 82nd minute when Jay Rodriguez somehow lifted a close range chance over the bar when it looked easier to score.

The original fixture was snowed off back in November and while there was none of the white stuff for this rearranged fixture, it was just as cold with constant rain and a blustery wind, conditions that probably suited the Clarets more than their London visitors.

And so it proved in the first half with Burnley - boosted by their fine win at Brighton at the weekend - on the front foot for the most part without managing to seriously trouble Hugo Lloris who had to make only one comfortable save from Josh Brownhill's volley.

That in fact was the only effort on target in the first period. Kane had threatened in the first minute when his shot took a deflection off James Tarkowski and flew into the sidenetting but from then on, it was Burnley who looked the likelier side to score.

Spurs eventually weathered the storm, Cristian Romero stabbing a close-range shot wide and Emerson Royal firing high and wide after he had been sent clear by Kane's pass.

Harry Winks introduction at the break for the injured Rodrigo Bentacur prompted more attacking urgency from Spurs in the second half. Kane went close to putting them ahead when his header from Son Heung Min's 's free-kick crashed against the bar.

Burnley responded with Mee aiming a header straight at Loris and then Romero defending superbly to dispossess Wout Weghorst as he looked set to shoot.

Lloris then made a superb save to keep out a powerful header from Rodriguez but back came Spurs with Dejan Kulusevski curling a low shot just wide of the far post after being set up by Son.

Burnley finally broke the deadlock when Mee out jumped Romero at the far post to power home a header from Josh Brownhill's free-kick.

Rodriguez should have made it two but contrived to put the ball over the bar from inside the six yard box but in the end one goal proved enough for Burnley and left Tottenham down in eighth place searching for the consistency to make up a seven point gap between them and fourth-placed Manchester United, although they do have two games in hand on Ralph Rangnick's team.

BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 7; Roberts 7, Tarkowski 7, Mee 7, Pieters 6; Lennon 6, Brownhill 7, Cork 6, McNeil 8; Weghorst 7 (Barnes 88), Rodriguez 6.

Not used: Hennessey, Lowton, Stephens, Collins, Bardsley, Long, Thomas, Richardson.

TOTTENHAM (3-4-3): Lloris 6; Romero 6, Dier 6, Davies 5; Emerson 5 (Moura 65, 6) , Hojberg 6, Bentancur 5 (Winks 46, 6), Sessegnon 5 (Bergwijn 79, 5) Kulsevski 6, Kane 8, Son 6.

Not used: Austin, Doherty, Reguilon, Sanchez, Rodon, White.

Referee: Graham Scott.