Lyle Foster, the most expensive South African signing in the English Premier League, was on the scoresheet for his new side Burnley, but could do little to stop them losing to Aston Villa.
Burnley played their second Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa, searching for their first points this campaign. The Clarets had fallen 3-0 to defending champions Manchester City in their opening game.
It was not the welcome they had hoped for on their return to the elite division.
If they were undermatched against Manchester City, perhaps Aston Villa was more to their size. However, it was another lost cause, as they fell to Villa.
Lyle Foster helpless as Villa took a first-half lead
It was a dour first-half performance from Burnley against Aston Villa. If the Clarets had hoped for a better game in only their second game of the season, they were in for a surprise.
Aston Villa stormed out of the blocks early, taking the game to the newly promoted side. It was a tie that saw a rare Lyle Foster input in the game.
The Bafana Bafana striker tried to create an opening for his side in the fifth minute but saw his cross intercepted for Burnley’s first corner kick.
While Burnley was still trying to settle into the game, Aston Villa broke and scored the opener. Ollie Watkins received a delectable chipped pass in the eighth minute that saw him bear down on the Burnley goal.
He seemed to have overhit the ball but managed to get it across the goal to Matty Cash, who knocked it in at the far post.
Burnley tried to fight back. In the 13th minute, Luca Koleosho created an opening before floating a cross into the box for Lyle Foster. The South African striker could not connect with a header and lost the opportunity to score.
Burnley paid for that wasted opportunity. Villa was back in the 20th minute, with Cash getting his brace. After a sweet interchange of passes, Moussa Diaby found Matty Cash in the box, who smashed it in for his second of the afternoon.
Foster thought he had beat the offside trap in the 31st minute, as he bore down on goal, but was flagged by the linesman.
It continued this way, with Villa having their tails up to go into the break to goals up.
Foster struck back, but it was not enough
Burnley came into the second half looking to take the game to Aston Villa. The efforts of the Clarets yielded instant dividends as an early half pressure led to a goal.
Lyle Foster, who had been denied service in the first half, got his first clean attempt at goal and did not waste it.
Lyle Foster scored Burnley’s first goal back in the Premier League. He also broke an almost ten-year South African Premier League duck. The last South African to score in the Premier League was Steven Pienaar in October 2013.
Two minutes after the restart, Gudmundsson, who came on in the second half, beat Digne in the air at the far post and headed the ball back into the area to Lyle Foster. The South African still had work to do. Lyle Foster turned his marker and hit the ball past Olsen.
Burnley were back in the game and continued to mount pressure on Villa. However, they got hit by a sucker punch in the 61st minute. McGinn showed strength and composure in midfield to set Digne off down the left. Digne then pulled the ball back to new signing Moussa Diaby, who smashed it in the first time.
The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Burnley as they could not muster enough to get back into the game.
Line up
Burnley: 1 James Trafford, 28 Ameen Al-Dakhil, 2 Dara O'Shea, 44 Hannes Delcroix, 14 Connor Roberts, 16 Sander Berge, 24 Josh Cullen, 30 Luca Koleosho, 10 Manuel Benson, 25 Zeki Amdouni, 7 Lyle Foster
Aston Villa: 25 Robin Olsen, 4 Ezri Konsa, 3 Diego Carlos, 14 Pau Torres, 2 Matty Cash, 44 Boubacar Kamara 6 Douglas Luiz, 12 Lucas Digne, 19 Moussa Diaby, 7 John McGinn, 11 Ollie Watkins
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
