' CARDIFF V BURNLEY: MATCH REPORTS '

Result: Burnley net two late goals to draw at Cardiff City
By Sports Mole

Cardiff City surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to Burnley this afternoon, with Michael Keane netting a 94th-minute equaliser for the visitors.

Scott Malone blazed a shot over the bar from inside the area with the game's first chance in the ninth minute before Kenwyne Jones forced Tom Heaton into a reflex save as Cardiff began brightly.

Burnley's first chance fell to Keane, who headed over from Joey Barton's corner, while Tony Watt ended a lung-bursting 40-yard run by fizzing an effort wide at the other end on his Cardiff debut.

However, Burnley came close when George Boyd saw a shot cleared off the line by Matthew Connolly.

The visitors appealed for handball a few moments later as another Boyd effort was blocked inside the area, but the referee waved away their protests.

To compound their misery, Aron Gunnarsson nodded home from a Joe Ralls cross in the 41st minute to notch his first goal of the season and hand Cardiff the lead.

Gunnarsson went close once more in the 52nd minute as he fired at Heaton, while Jones directed a header narrowly over the bar.

The home crowd were on their feet again in the 65th minute though, as Sean Morrison headed home Peter Whittingham's corner to give the hosts a two-goal advantage.

Burnley gave themselves a lifeline with four minutes remaining when substitute Rouwen Hennings finished Boyd's cut back from close range.

With almost the final kick of the game, Keane completed a remarkable comeback as he prodded home a loose ball inside the area to break Cardiff's hearts.

ROUWEN Hennings came off the bench to score his first goal for Burnley and help the Clarets come back from 2-0 down to earn a point at Cardiff.

The Bluebirds led through Aron Gunnarsson’s header in the 41st minute before Sean Morrison doubled their advantage in the second as Burnley conceded twice from set pieces.

But substitute Hennings sparked the fightback with a lovely shot on the turn, then deep into stoppage time a Matthew Connolly own goal earned the determined Clarets a point.

It is Burnley’s third consecutive draw but their most hard earned one.

George Boyd twice came close to putting Burnley in front in the first half, having a shot from Andre Gray’s lay-off blocked on the line before narrowly clearing the angle soon after, with a suspicion of handball to steer it on its way.

Cardiff responded to the threat with the opener, as Gunnarsson headed in Joe Ralls’ free kick.

The Bluebirds were flying when Morrison climbed to meet Peter Whittingham’s corner to make it 2-0.

But Hennings led the Burnley charge, and the Clarets kept at it to earn a late point from a goalmouth scramble from Dean Marney's cross, capping the midfielder's comeback from injury.

Burnley came from two goals behind to secure a 2-2 draw with the Bluebirds at Cardiff City Stadium.

CITY SET THE TEMPO
After both sides had settled into the match, some snappy build-up play saw City carve out several early chances. First, Kenwyne Jones’s low shot was parried past the post by former Bluebird Tom Heaton, before Sean Morrison saw his header well saved by the returning ‘keeper.

Cardiff City débutant Tony Watt then almost had a dream start, as he picked the ball up, drove forward at the Clarets’ defence before directing his effort just wide of the post. Joe Ralls, who was directing the play from the centre of the park, then rifled over the crossbar, as the home side dominated the opening exchanges.

Russell Slade’s men were playing some excellent football as the rain poured down in South Wales. Ralls, Malone and Peter Whittingham were all involved in the next flowing move, before Craig Noone’s deflected shot was superbly saved by Heaton.

GUNNING AHEAD
While the Bluebirds enjoyed the vast majority of possession, Burnley certainly had the players within their ranks to cause problems on the break. Indeed, they enjoyed their best spell of the match as Sky Bet Championship top-scorer Andre Gray tempted Marshall off his line and squared the ball to George Boyd, whose low drive was spectacularly cleared off the line by Matthew Connolly.

However, after Boyd had again fired over, City then struck to take an advantage going into the break. Ralls stood over an attacking free-kick and expertly swung the ball in for Aron Gunnarsson to head past Heaton for the half-time lead.

The downpour only intensified as the referee signalled the start of the second half. Gunnarsson was first to fire in an early effort before Morrison headed a cross from the lively Scott Arfield out for a corner.

CLARETS CLAW BACK
On sixty-four minutes, Slade’s men put themselves in a great position to defeat their high-flying visitors. The goal came from a corner, as Whittingham delivered the ball for Morrison to head home and double City’s advantage.

The Bluebirds appeared to be seeing the game out well in difficult conditions, as they limited their oppositions opportunities in the final third.

However, a tense finale was ensured when Claret substitute Rouwen Hennings struck past Marshall on 86 minutes. Then, as Sean Dyche's men flooded men forward, a goal line scramble in the third minute of injury time saw the ball deflect in off Connolly to break City hearts.

FINAL SCORE: CARDIFF CITY 2-2 BURNLEY

Scorers: Aron Gunnarsson 41’, Sean Morrison 64’ | Rouwen Hennings 86', Matt Connolly OG 93'

Attendance: 15,133

Cardiff City: Marshall; Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, Malone; Noone, Gunnarsson (O’Keefe 67), Whittingham, Ralls; Watt (Mason 61), Jones (Macheda 89).
Subs not used: Moore, Manga, Tamaș, Kennedy.

Burnley: Heaton, Darikwa, Duff, Keane, Mee; Boyd, Barton, Jones (Marney 67), Arfield (Hennings 76); Gray, Long (Taylor 56).
Subs not used: Gilks, Lowton, Ward, Kightly.