Behind Manchester United, games involving Burnley or Bournemouth this term had averaged the joint-second most goals per game, so this was never likely to be a drab affair.
True to form, the two sides exchanged early blows inside the opening five minutes when Jaidon Anthony first dragged an effort wide of the target, before the Cherries went up the other end and Evanilson saw his effort cleared off the line by Bashir Humphreys after he’d rounded Martin Dubravka.
Another good opportunity soon came and went for Bournemouth too, when Maxime Esteve’s loose pass was pounced upon by Eli Junior Kroupi, but once again Humphreys was there to block a certain goal.
Humphreys was never far away from the action, and he almost got himself on the scoresheet at the other end when he freed himself at the far post to get on the end of James Ward-Prowe’s corner.
Although he had time to take it down and ready himself for a shot, he was this time denied by a last-ditch block as Alex Scott deflected his strike behind for a corner.
It was all Burnley as half-time approached, and in almost identical circumstances to Humphreys, Anthony came close to opening the scoring five minutes before the break.
He ghosted in around the back to latch onto a James Ward-Prowse corner, but instead of taking a touch, he rattled a first-time volley against the underside of the bar.
The second half began in contrasting fashion, with Andoni Iraola’s men on the offensive, hitting the woodwork themselves within 10 minutes of the restart when Marcus Tavernier stepped in off the right and crashed a left-footed effort against the outside of the post.
Chances were certainly a little harder to come by after the break, and a string of stoppages did little to help the flow of the game.
Burnley knew that their fanciful survival hopes realistically required them to win here, so it was perhaps surprising to see a distinct lack of attacking intent in the closing stages from Scott Parker’s men.
The game ultimately fizzled out in the closing stages, with neither side particularly seizing the initiative in the search for three points.
A draw for Bournemouth not only saw them miss the chance to close the gap on the European spots, but also stretched their winless run against promoted sides this season to five matches.
Burnley ultimately made unwanted history and took another step towards the Championship in the process as they’re still yet to beat a top-half Premier League side this season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Bashir Humphreys (Burnley)
