Burnley 5-0 Cardiff City: Scott Parker enjoys ideal first home game as Clarets make it two wins from two

A bizarre own goal got the Clarets up and running early on, while Luca Koleosho, Josh Brownhill, Zeki Amdouni and Johann Berg Gudmundsson also got in on the act.

The scoreline doesn’t exactly tell the whole story though, as Cardiff – especially in the first-half – were often the better side and created the clearer-cut chances.

The Clarets were much improved in the second period though and were utterly clinical in front of goal, in a complete role reversal of what they endured in the Premier League last season where they were often put to the sword, sometimes through no fault of their own.

Indeed, last season it took Burnley until December to record their second league win, while this term they’ve reached that tally after just six days.

While the league table doesn’t count for much at this early stage, Burnley do lead the way on six points, having scored nine goals in their opening two fixtures.

Parker handed a debut to summer signing Vaclav Hladky, who replaced James Trafford who missed out through illness.

Jay Rodriguez took Wilson Odobert’s spot on the bench following the winger’s big money move to Tottenham, as Parker made two changes from Monday night’s 4-1 win at Luton Town.

Zeki Amdouni featured on the bench alongside the returning Johann Berg Gudmundsson, who has recently recovered from a knock.

Anass Zaroury, who featured off the bench against the Hatters, wasn’t involved, alongside Ameen Al-Dakhil, Jordan Beyer, Hjalmar Ekdal, Hannes Delcroix, Shurandy Sambo, Sander Berge, Aaron Ramsey, Nathan Redmond, Mike Tresor and Michael Obafemi.

As for Cardiff, they made two changes to the side that lost 2-0 at home to Sunderland on the opening day of the season.

The game got off to a pretty even start, with Cardiff perhaps looking the more threatening during the opening exchanges.

But just eight minutes in, the Bluebirds gifted Burnley the lead with a calamitous goal reminiscent of the one Arijanet Muric conceded in the Premier League last season.

There appeared to be no danger whatsoever as Dimi Goutas played a harmless-looking pass back to Ethan Horvarth, but the keeper took his eye off the ball, allowing it to go underneath his studs and trickling into the back of his net.

Burnley’s lead ought to have been wiped out five minutes later when Yakou Meite sprung the offside trap to get in behind Lucas Pires. Bearing down one-on-one with debutant Hladky, Meite smacked a powerful effort off the inside of the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and wide.

Despite their lead, the Clarets weren’t performing particularly convincingly. Cardiff were enjoying the lion’s share of territory and Horvarth, error aside, had very little to do.

Cardiff did have the ball in the back of the net midway through the first-half when Wilfried Kanga tapped home after Hladky could only parry Calum Chambers’ header into his path, but thankfully the linesman’s flag was raised for offside.

The visitors got in behind Burnley’s backline far too easily with Kanga, but the Clarets managed to get men back and crowd the forward out. Cardiff kept hold of possession though and won a free-kick right on the edge of the Burnley area, which Aaron Ramsey struck straight at Hladky, who dealt with it fairly comfortably.

On the half-hour mark, Burnley doubled their lead with another goal out of nothing.

This time it was all of their own creation though, with Jay Rodriguez doing superbly down the right before looking to tee up Josh Brownhill. The skipper was thwarted but the ball rebounded to the back post where Luca Koleosho was there to steer home. While Horvarth managed to get a hand to the winger’s low effort, it wasn’t enough to keep it out.

The remainder of the first-half was fairly uneventful, with Burnley happy to sit on their two-goal lead and keep Cardiff at arm’s length.

The start of the second-half began in very much the same fashion as the first, with the Clarets starting sloppily before scoring.

This time it was Josh Brownhill getting in on the act six minutes into the second period to score his second goal in as many games.

Lyle Foster did well in the build-up to lay the ball off to Vitinho, whose defence-splitting pass allowed Brownhill acres of space to run through on goal where he calmly slotted home beyond the onrushing keeper.

Cardiff, who had been left utterly shell-shocked, struggled to issue a riposte, although Callum O’Dowda did head straight at Hladky after getting on the end of a corner.

The visitors’ intensity dropped off during the final stages, which allowed Burnley to keep hold of the ball and run down the remaining minutes.

The Clarets still had time to add further gloss to the scoreline with a fourth during the dying minutes through substitute Zeki Amdouni.

It was some strike too, as the forward’s long-range strike cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and, according to the referee’s watch, over the line.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson then got in on the act with a sublime fifth, picking out the bottom corner with aplomb from the edge of the box, giving the goalkeeper no chance.

TEAMS

Burnley: Hladky, Roberts, O'Shea, Esteve, Pires, Cullen (Amdouni), Brownhill, Vitinho (Gudmundsson), Koleosho (Hountondji), Rodriguez (Massengo), Foster (Weghorst)

Subs not used: Green, McNally, Egan-Riley, Benson

Cardiff: Horvath, Ng, Goutas, Chambers (Fagan-Walcott), O’Dowda (Bagan), Ralls (Colwill), Siopis, Ramsey, Willock, Meite (Tanner), Kanga (Robinson)

Subs not used: Alnwick, Robertson, Rinomhota, Ashford

Referee: Michael Salisbury

Attendance: 19,759