Soccer Football - Premier League - Burnley v Luton Town - Turf Moor, Burnley, Britain - January 12, 2024 Luton Town's Carlton Morris scores their first goal past Burnley's James Trafford REUTERS/Phil Noble
BURNLEY, England (Reuters) -Carlton Morris scored a controversial last-gasp goal as Luton Town escaped Turf Moor with a precious point against Burnley in a 1-1 Premier League draw on Friday between two sides fighting relegation.
The hosts looked set for victory after Zeki Amdouni's first-half goal before Morris headed in the equaliser in the 92nd minute. Burnley protested that Luton's Elijah Adebayo impeded goalkeeper James Trafford, but following a VAR check, the goal stood.
"I'm new to this ownership thing, so if I get fined by the Premier League, so be it... This is as blatant and obvious of a foul as you could have," Burnley part-owner and former NFL player JJ Watt posted on X. "To miss this on the field AND miss this on VAR is truly disgraceful."
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany was perplexed by the call, telling TNT "I don't get it anymore".
"There's a clear attempt to stop the goalkeeper getting up," he added. "It's experience, it's well done to try, it doesn't take anything away from the performance for Luton, I thought they were incredible today, but it's just the moment there the referees have got to get it right."
Rob Edwards' Luton are 18th in the standings but level on 16 points with 17th-placed Everton. Burnley are 19th with 12 points, having played one game more than their opponents.
"An away point in the Premier League is big, especially for a team in our position," Edwards told TNT.
The match was all Luton before Amdouni scored against the run of play in the 36th minute after Wilson Odobert beat his man with a step-over then played the ball across the box for Amdouni to fire home his fourth league goal of the season.
The goal lifted Burnley and the game that marked the return of the Premier League after a 10-day break was evenly matched the rest of the way, with Luton having a narrow 14-13 edge on shots over the hosts throughout the match.
Luton had some good earlier chances including Ross Barkley's first-half rocket that forced Trafford into an acrobatic leap to save.
But Trafford and Burnley were aggrieved in stoppage time when the keeper appeared to be prevented, by the frame of Adebayo, from challenging a ball into the middle of the box which Morris rose to head in to salvage a draw for the visitors.
"To be honest I have seen a couple where goalkeepers get protection and I am pleased they (VAR) have seen sense as the big man just out jumped him," the goalscorer said. "We definitely deserved something, but we dug in and that shows our character and what we are about."
Chelsea striker David Fofana watched the match from the stands. Fofana, 21, has been linked in British media reports with a loan move to Burnley after the forward's loan spell at German side Union Berlin was cut short.
(Reporting by Lori EwingEditing by Christian Radnedge)
