ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Burnley 1

Crystal Palace 0

LONDON • Chris Wood's dream home debut for Burnley pushed Frank de Boer to the brink of the sack as Crystal Palace crashed to a 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor yesterday.

The New Zealand international marked his second appearance for Burnley following his club record £15 million (S$26 million) move with the third-minute winner.

The former Leeds striker punished a woeful back pass by Palace's South Korean winger Lee Chung Yong.

For Palace manager de Boer, his side's fourth successive Premier League defeat could bring an abrupt end to his first season at Selhurst Park.

Palace have yet to score a league goal since the former Ajax and Inter Milan coach took charge and reports ahead of this fixture claimed that Eagles chairman Steve Parish was already considering sacking the Dutchman.

With Parish watching from the stands, de Boer saw second-from- bottom Palace waste a string of chances to at least snatch a point and he will head back to south London with his future in doubt.

De Boer, 47, whose side have lost to Huddersfield, Liverpool, Swansea and now Burnley, lasted 85 days at Inter. As of today, he will be up to only 77 days at Palace.

"No I cannot believe we lost, there is still frustration about the result but not about our performance," said the former Netherlands international.

"The goal we conceded was very disappointing, we have given a lot of sloppy goals away already and that was even worse.

"The only thing I can control is to work very hard with the boys, and that is what I am going to do and hopefully for a long time. I saw the team fighting for one another, and playing with more confidence and that is what I want."

Burnley manager Sean Dyche admitted that Palace were the better side. "We were resolute, that was the key," he said.

"Palace were the better side, they played well throughout the game. It's our worst performance of the season so far but the shape of the team, the belief in one another was on show."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE