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| Southampton’s Shane Long celebrates |
Chris Wood scored twice as Burnley took a major step towards Premier League safety with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Cardiff City on Saturday which left the Welsh club deep in relegation trouble.
Cardiff, occupying the final relegation slot in 18th place, are on 28 points, five behind 17th-placed Brighton with five games remaining. Burnley, who have won three in a row, move up to 14th place on 39 points.
Wood, who had struck the post in the second minute, put the Clarets in front in the 31st minute with a fine header from a Dwight McNeil corner.
Cardiff were furious when referee Mike Dean reversed a decision to award a penalty for handball by Ben Mee after consulting with his assistant.
Junior Hoilett then wasted a great chance for Cardiff, blasting high over the bar after being found unmarked inside the area.
Burnley made sure of the win in stoppage time when Wood added his second goal, nodding home from close range after a winding run from winger McNeil.
Elsewhere, Southampton made a big step towards securing top-flight football next season after two first-half goals from Nathan Redmond steered them towards a 3-1 Premier League home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
The result left the Saints 16th on 36 points from 33 games, eight above the relegation zone, while Wolves stayed eighth on 47 points from 33 games.
Redmond fired Southampton ahead in the second minute when he poked the ball into the roof of the net at the near post after James Ward-Prowse released Josh Sims on the right flank and the winger delivered a sharp low cross.
Wolves piled on the pressure after falling behind and drew level in the 28th minute as central defender Willy Boly rose above his marker to head home a Joao Moutinho corner, but their joy was short-lived.
Redmond restored the home side’s lead barely two minutes later with a dinked finish after a defence-splitting pass from Danny Ings, who again carved the visitors open in the 32nd minute only for Sims to drag his shot wide.
Second-half substitute Shane Long sealed the contest in the 71st minute with an opportunist finish from three metres out, steering in a scrambled Maya Yoshida effort after the Japanese defender saw his initial overhead kick blocked.
Finally, Brighton & Hove Albion were thrashed 5-0 at home by Bournemouth and Fulham secured just a fifth Premier League win of the season as Scott Parker’s already-relegated side outplayed Everton at Craven Cottage.
