Burnley 1-0 Middlesbrough: Gray grabs Clarets hard-fought win

Burnley battled their way to a vital 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Turf Moor on Boxing Day.

Festive cheer was in short supply for long periods at Turf Moor, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut openings.

The Clarets saw a strong penalty appeal waved away in the first half, as Callum Chambers survived a handball scare, while Cristhian Stuani flicked a header narrowly wide for the visitors after the break.

The deadlock was finally broken, though, 10 minutes from time when Andre Gray latched onto a Sam Vokes flick and lashed the ball into the bottom corner.

Sean Dyche’s side are now six points clear of the Premier League drop zone, while Boro slip below the Clarets into 15th – four points above the top-flight trapdoor.