Billing stunner earns Bournemouth comeback win over Burnley

Updated: Oct 28, 2023, 07:39 pm

Bournemouth came from behind to beat Burnley 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday and claim their first league victory of the season after Philip Billing netted the winner with an extraordinary lob from 40 yards.

Bournemouth moved above Burnley into 17th place with six points from 10 matches, while Vincent Kompany's side dropped one spot into 19th on four.

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"I feel relief. I think we needed this one," Andoni Iraola told the BBC after his first league win as Bournemouth manager.

"It was obvious we were facing a team in a similar condition. It's a huge win for us."

Billing's goal moved Bournemouth out of the relegation places.
Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

Despite coming so early in the season, the match had the air of a relegation six-pointer with both teams struggling for form.

Burnley, looking for a fifth straight league win over Bournemouth, went ahead in the 11th minute when Charlie Taylor hammered home a fierce volley from outside the box.

Taylor was unable to relish his strike for long, however, as a lapse in concentration allowed Antoine Semenyo to pinch the ball off him and fire a low shot into the bottom corner to level the scores.

Both sides missed chances in the remainder of an action-packed first half as Marcus Tavernier fired an effort over from close range and Chris Mepham had a header saved, while Burnley's Luca Koleosho posed a constant threat down the right.

In windy conditions, Bournemouth continued to push for a second goal and fired cross after cross into Burnley's penalty area, with goalkeeper James Trafford repeatedly called into action.

The hosts finally found the breakthrough in the 76th minute when Billing spotted Trafford off his line and produced an audacious lob that grazed the goalkeeper's outstretched palm before nestling in the empty net.

The goal sparked Burnley into action and substitute Jay Rodriguez thought he had scored an equaliser in the 89th minute -- but a lengthy VAR check showed him to be inches offside as he ran on to a through ball.

Boos erupted as the delay for the VAR check crossed the four-minute mark and the match ended to chants of "this is embarrassing" from both sets of supporters.

"I don't know how many (minutes) it was. I was telling them take your time, but make the right call," Iraola said.