Burnley 1-1 Luton Town: Clarets denied huge win by hugely controversial stoppage-time equaliser

The Clarets looked to be heading to a much-needed victory in this must-win encounter thanks to Zeki Amdouni’s first-half strike.

But the Hatters snatched a point right at the death with a highly controversial goal from Morris, who headed into the back of an empty net after James Trafford had clearly been blocked by Elijah Adebayo.

Despite Luton barely even celebrating the goal, VAR deemed there was no foul and the goal was given – much to Burnley’s anger and frustration.

It means the Clarets remain four points adrift of safety, but having played a game more.

It was mixed news on the injury front ahead of kick-off, with three key players - Jordan Beyer, Charlie Taylor and Sander Berge - all ruled out.

Beyer missed out for the second game running after being absent for last week’s FA Cup tie against Tottenham through injury.

Taylor, meanwhile, picked up a shoulder problem during the game against Spurs and was unavailable as a result.

Sander Berge was back from suspension but still wasn’t named in the squad, while Hannes Delcroix, Han-Noah Massengo, Aaron Ramsey, Nathan Redmond and Michael Obafemi were also left out.

On a more positive note, Hjalmar Ekdal and Lyle Foster were ruled fit and both started.

The likes of CJ Egan-Riley, Jack Cork and Manuel Benson – who has been linked with a January move away from Turf Moor – featured among the substitutes, but Luca Koleosho remains a long-term absentee.

As for Luton, they made two changes to the side that lost 3-2 to Chelsea in their last league outing.

After a fairly muted start, Burnley wasted a golden chance to take an early lead in the seventh minute.

Zeki Amdouni created it, with his through-ball taking a slight deflection to fall kindly for Johann Gudmundsson, who was only able to shoot straight at ex-Blackburn Rovers keeper Thomas Kaminsk.

It was a gilt-edged chance and one Gudmundsson really ought to have put away.

Luton responded well with two good chances of their own. Elijah Adebayo was inches away from meeting Alfie Doughty’s left-wing cross before James Trafford tipped over Ross Barkley’s curling effort from outside the box.

Barkley was being given too much space to operate in during the opening stages, as evidenced by his crossfield ball to Chiedozie Ogbene who saw his near-post drive thwarted by Trafford.

Luton were well on top at this point, looking a lot sharper and working overloads all over the pitch.

Barkley, who continued to have great influence over the game, tried his luck from range for a second time, only this time he was denied by a smart block from Josh Cullen.

The anxiousness on the pitch quickly seeped into the stands, and given the direction of traffic, it was hard to blame them.

For as poor as Burnley had been, they missed a second golden chance of the game when Wilson Odobert scuffed his lines from 12 yards out after the ball had been worked back into the box from a partially cleared long throw.

It sparked a spell of pressure from the home side, arguably their first phase of the match, and amazingly it resulted in a goal in the 36th minute.

Odobert was the architect, working his way down the left flank before pulling the ball back for Amdouni to force home, despite Kaminski’s best efforts on the line.

Burnley hunted a quick second and could have got one when that man Odobert created another chance, this time for Ameen Al-Dakhil of all people, who managed to get a shot off at goal despite falling backwards, but it fell harmlessly wide.

Burnley continued from where they left off at the start of the second-half, playing at a good tempo and looking to put the Hatters on the back foot.

Vitinho curled straight into Kaminski’s hands from outside the box while Foster slightly overhit a pass into Amdouni following some clever build-up play.

Odobert wasn’t exactly offering a great deal defensively, but going forward he continued to be a thorn in Luton’s side.

The winger looked to double Burnley’s lead when he cut in from the left flank and unleashed a powerful effort which took a wicked deflection, almost defeating Kaminski at his near post. But the keeper quickly shifted his feet to get down and turn the ball around his post.

The hosts had chances to put the game to bed on the counter but too often they let them down with their final ball.

They were almost made to pay for it 13 minutes from time when Luton sub Carlton Morris volleyed wide after turning Ekdal too easily.

Luton inevitably piled forward in the dying stages but Burnley, by and large, dealt with it well and kept any chances to a minimum.

That was until the 93rd minute, when real drama ensued. Luton equalised with a highly controversial goal when Morris headed into the back of the empty net, despite Trafford clearly being fouled by Adebayo.

The goal was checked by VAR, but bizarrely it was deemed there was no foul, meaning Luton snatched a point right at the death.

TEAMS

Burnley: Trafford, Vitinho, O'Shea, Ekdal, Al-Dakhil, Brownhill, Cullen, JBG (Roberts), Odobert (Bruun Larsen), Amdouni Tresor), Foster

Subs not used: Muric, Egan-Riley, Cork, Benson, Zaroury, Rodriguez

Luton: Kaminski, Mengi, Osho, Bell, Lokonga (Berry), Clark (Morris), Doughty, Townsend (Chong), Ogbene, Barkley, Adebayo

Subs not used: Krul, Potts, Burke, Mpanzu, Giles, Woodrow

Referee: Tony Harrington