Burnley 0-1 West Brom: Substitute Hal Robson-Kanu condemns Burnley to defeat at Turf Moor with second-half winner before being sent off

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At kick-off Tony Pulis and Sean Dyche shared a warm embrace before parting for the dugouts with wide smiles on their faces. 

After his forever-battling side eked out a narrow victory Pulis, was (joint) top of the league and no doubt having a laugh again. Laughing at those who criticise his style, laughing at those who say it does not belong in the Premier League and laughing at those who spend millions more than he does without getting anywhere near the results he consistently provides. 

Substitute Hal Robson-Kanu's 71st minute strike was enough to give Albion six points from six, although the smile may have been temporarily taken off his manager's face when referee Martin Atkinson showed the striker red for an apparent elbow on Burnley full back Matthew Lowton. 

Hal Robson-Kanu celebrates scoring the game's only goal eight minutes after coming on as a substitute

The substitute and Phillips look delighted after combining for the winning goal at Turf Moor

Robson-Kanu looks an isolated figure as he heads off the pitch after receiving a straight red following clash with Matt Lowton 

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

Burnley (4-2-3-1): Heaton 6; Lowton 5, Tarkowski 6.5, Mee 6, Ward 5; Cork 5, Defour 6; Gudmundsson 6 (Barnes 78), Hendrick 6, Brady 6 (Walters 78); Vokes 5.  

Subs not used: Taylor, Westwood, Long, Pope, Arfield

Booked: Barnes 

Manager: Sean Dyche 5 

West Brom (4-1-4-1): Foster 6; Nyom 6, Dawson 6, Hegazi 7, Brunt 6; Barry 6; Phillips 6, Livermore 5, Field 5 (Rondon 85), McClean 6 (Robson-Kanu 63, 6); Rodriguez 5

Subs not used: Myhill, Chadli, Harper, Leko, Wilson

Red Card: Robson-Kanu 83 

Manager: Tony Pulis 7 

Star man: Ahmed Hegazi (West Brom)  

Goal: Robson-Kanu 71

Referee: Martin Atkinson 5.5

Attendance: 19,619

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CLICK HERE to see our brilliant Match Zone- including the move to Hal Robson-Kanu's winning goal against Burnley at Turf Moor.

 

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Robson-Kanu appeared to be unfortunate. While his arm was outstretched he looked to catch the Burnley man with forearm rather than elbow and an appeal may well be forthcoming. Pulis said he would watch a replay before commenting. Dyche was more forthcoming. 'A definite red,' he said. 

West Brom were again without Jonny Evans, following interest in the player from Manchester City. The defender has a hamstring injury which his manager insisted was genuine. 'Jonny is not the type of lad, even if Man City were involved, to not play,' Pulis said of his captain. 'The injury came about before City had made an enquiry so it's good for you lot and not for us.' What would also be good for a still thin-looking Albion, is players coming through the Hawthorns doors, rather than heading out of it. 

'We just want to bring a few players in now,' Pulis added. 'That's the most important thing for us.' Dyche's men had stunned the football world at Chelsea last weekend, racing into a 3-0 lead before half-time and holding on for a memorable 3-2 victory. Following the conclusion of this one it may have been a different team talk, but the manager was impressed with what he had seen from his enterprising but ultimately goalless side. 

'I thought it was a good performance,' said Dyche. 'You end up scratching your head that you don't get something, particularly when you perform so well, other than a smack up the pitch that we didn't deal with really. I thought we limited them to very few chances and made a number ourselves. I'm disappointed with the outcome but definitely not the performance.'  

Burnley manager Sean Dyche shakes hands and shares a joke with his West Brom counterpart Tony Pulis before kick-off

Jeff Hendrick (left), fires a shot from outside of the box for the home side's first effort of the game, but it went high and wide

Johann Berg Gudmundsson (right), tries his luck next from outside the area after being teed up by Sam Vokes 

Ahmed Hegazy challenges for the ball with striker Vokes in the air and sustains an injury to his eye

The defender has to leave the field of the play and have his shirt changed before he is allowed back on to continue

Ben Foster made a comfortable diving save to his left after a Gudmundsson header at goal from a Robbie Brady cross

Ben Mee had a golden opportunity to give his side the lead just before half-time but directs his header wide from close range

Following a host of missed half chances from the hosts, Robson-Kanu grabbed the only goal eight minutes after coming on. Chris Brunt, with the ball heading out of play, managed to volley and up and under down the field. The Brunt punt found Matt Phillips who flicked it on to Robson-Kanu, with the stocky striker taking it away from James Tarkowski and drilling a clinical finish past Tom Heaton. 

After the Welshman's 83rd minute dismissal, the industrious Clarets rallied and Jeff Hendrick should have done better when he fired a clear chance over the bar from just inside the area, as should substitute Jon Walters with an injury time free header. 

Dyche needs a striker and is about to get one. This week, he is expected to take the prolific Chris Wood from Leeds United for £15m although he declined to comment on the imminent move. He did, however shed a little light on what had caused the laughter with Pulis. 

'If it was a joke it would have been mine,' Dyche said. 'It wasn't a joke, it was a view of something that had been said recently.' If Wood does sign, he may also soon be smiling again.

Chris Brunt gave away a free-kick but escapes a booking after bringing down Hendrick early on in the second half

Livermore scored a disallowed goal three minutes into the second half with the linesman flagging for offside

Jay Rodriguez shields the ball from Mee and retains possession for his side despite pressure from Burnley players 

Stephen Ward hits a left foot shoot from outside the box wide of the goal following a Burnley free kick 

Substitute Robson-Kanu wins a free kick for West Brom shortly after replacing James McClean

Shortly after scoring Robson-Kanu is sent off for violent conduct following a challenge on Burnley's Lowton

The referee brandishes a straight red as Lowton holds on to his face and Burnley players surround the goalscorer

The Wales international protests his innocence but is told to leave the field of play by Martin Atkinson 

Jonathan Walters almost made Robson-Kanu pay for his dismissal but his injury-time header just goes over the bar