Maupay, Mac Allister strike late as Brighton overcome Burnley

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:05 am

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Brighton & Hove Albion's Neal Maupay and Alexis Mac Allister scored superb second-half goals to seal a 2-1 victory over a wasteful Burnley in their feisty opening Premier League encounter at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Argentine midfielder Mac Allister charged into the penalty area and swept home the winner from Pascal Gross's cross after striker Neal Maupay fired in the equaliser on his 25th birthday following a neat pass by substitute Jakub Moder.

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James Tarkowski nodded Burnley in front from a corner in the second minute, with the referee refusing to entertain complaints from Maupay who claimed that he was shoved to the ground by the onrushing defender in the build-up.

Brighton's rearguard appeared jittery without Ben White, who joined Arsenal during the close season, and they were rescued by the post with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez well beaten by Johann Gudmundsson's shot from distance after the opener.

Burnley skipper Ben Mee also went close with a header that struck the underside of the crossbar after Sanchez flapped at a corner and Tarkowski could not keep his follow-up effort on target with the missed chances proving costly in the end.