Cullen and Anthony seal crucial win in clash of newly promoted sides

JOSH CULLEN and Jaidon Anthony were the bright sparks as the lights went out on Sunderland’s early season optimism.

The Black Cats and their new squad of summer arrivals were sent packing with their tails between their legs as the Clarets stretched their unbeaten home run to 24 matches.

6 Josh Cullen scored the opener for Burnley Credit: Reuters

6 Jaidon Anthony added a second late on Credit: PA

6 Scott Parker wants Turf Moor to be a cauldron again this season Credit: Reuters

After a dull opening period, their captain broke the deadlock before Jaidon Anthony secured their first three points back in the Premier League late on.

And it was a game that provided a huge reality check for Regis Le Bris and the Mackem faithful of how difficult staying up will be.

Fresh from 3-0 tonking on their big return to the top-flight at Tottenham, Scott Parker called for Burnley’s fans to turn Turf Moor into a cauldron for this.

Aside from their watertight defence, which conceded only 16 times, last season’s 100-point promotion-winning campaign was also helped by a near-perfect home record.

They were unbeaten, recording 14 wins from 23, and they were in no mood to give that up against a side that finished 24 points behind them last term.

But you need more than just a solid defence to survive in the top-flight these days and scoring goals looks to be Parker’s biggest issue.

Creating chances isn’t the problem, it’s sticking them away, and he had demanded more ruthlessness pre-match having failed to take any of their 12 opportunities at Spurs.

After Josh Brownhill’s summer exit and new signing Armando Broja still not physically ready to play, worryingly, Kyle Walker’s tally of eight was remarkably the most in the top-flight out of the entire Clarets team here.

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Parker demanded his team be more ruthless back at their fortress and it only took them 18 minutes to get the ball in the net, though Lyle Foster’s celebrations were cut short as VAR spotted a foul on Jenson Seelt.

And the boss will have been pulling his hair out when Jaidon Anthony headed wide with all of the goal to aim for right at the end of a rather uninspiring first half.

And for all the feelings of invincibility at home, it could have been a nightmare start.

Fortunately for them, and annoyingly for Sunderland , it was an adopted Geordie that got them out of jail.

Goalie Martin Dubravka, who has just left the Black Cats’ fierce rivals Newcastle after seven years to sign for Burnley , sprang into action inside three minutes.

Dan Ballard’s knockdown fell perfectly for Eliezer Mayenda six yards out, but the Spanish U21 international’s strike was pushed away by the Slovakian stopper.

That was last piece of action for Ballard, man of the match last week in the 3-0 win over West Ham , as he soon hobbled off after appearing to hurt his groin while jumping for the header.

And that was a sign of things to come for Sunderland on a spirit-sapping afternoon following all of the fanfare from their opening day triumph.

Seconds after half-time they fell behind and Anthony was at the heart of it, backheeling into the path of Cullen.

The skipper took a touch before curling it through several bodies and into the far corner from 16 yards.

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Burnley had lift-off and Turf Moor soon resembled a disco. A floodlight malfunction led to a constant flickering, causing referee Michael Salisbury to halt the game for several minutes.

Eventually, they were switched off but Burnley had to wait until the closing stages to get the party really started and switch the lights off on Sunderland.

It came from a counter, and it was Anthony who made amends for wasting that header as he met Cullen’s throughball, rounded Robin Roefs and slotted home.

It was back down to earth with a bang for the Black Cats, but for Burnley it’s game-on in their quest to survive.