BURNLEY PROMOTED TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE

A 2-1 win over Middlesbrough was enough to secure the Clarets’ immediate return to the top flight as it became mathematically impossible for either Michael Carrick’s men or Luton Town to catch them.

Ashley Barnes gave the visitors the lead in the 12th minute with his 50th league goal for the club, diverting Josh Brownhill’s shot past a helpless Zack Steffen.

Leading scorer Nathan Tella almost doubled the advantage when spinning away from Darragh Lenihan to latch on to Barnes’s header, but he squandered the chance to bring up goal number 20 for the season when pulling his effort wide of the upright.

Boro drew level early in the second half when pandemonium ensued inside the area as Arijanet Muric’s clearance was recycled back into the penalty area where Josh Cullen was adjudged to have brought down Cameron Archer.

The Clarets’ Kosovan stopper guessed the right way, but Chuba Akpom, who had missed from the spot in the reverse fixture at Turf Moor, managed to squeeze his kick inside the post.

However, Connor Roberts restored the away side’s lead in the 66th minute when steering Tella’s cross from the right hand side into the back of the net.

The full-time whistle was met with mass celebration from the 2,065 Burnley fans who had made the trip to Teeside.

Burnley are back!