Cornet hits the right notes to rescue point for Burnley at Southampton

Burnley’s wait for a first win goes on but they escaped from Southampton with a 2-2 draw thanks to a double blast from Maxwel Cornet.

Saints had marched out at St Mary’s accompanied by a brass band, but their hopes of a second victory of the season were dashed by Cornet.

A classic was not expected on the south coast as these two teams had managed only one win and 11 goals between them from a total of 16 Premier League matches.

But in a match high on excitement, if low on quality, Cornet gave Burnley the lead before Saints equalised through Tino Livramento’s first senior goal.

The hosts went ahead when Armando Broja, the matchwinner against Leeds last weekend, grabbed his second in two matches.

But another blow from Cornet, the Ivory Coast winger who joined the Clarets from Lyon in the summer for what is already looking a bargain £12.8million, secured another point for Burnley.

The visitors took a 13th-minute lead when Dwight McNeil laid the ball back to Matt Lowton whose inviting cross was met by a glancing header in off the far post from Cornet.

Livramento has also been an impressive performer for Saints since his arrival from Chelsea and the 18-year-old almost set up an equaliser for Borja, but his volley was blocked by Nathan Collins.

Saints somehow managed to miss two golden chances to equalise in quick succession as half-time approached, to the dismay of the home fans,

First Theo Walcott superbly brought down a cross from Nathan Redmond with his first touch, only to prod his shot wide from 10 yards out with his second.

Moments later Redmond was guilty of an even worse miss, slicing wide of an open goal at the far post from Broja’s cross.

The frustration grew when Livramento cut inside and curled a shot around Nick Pope and against the far post.

But the goal was coming and it arrived at the end of a gloriously barmy five minutes when Southampton’s teenage full-back stooped to head in a corner from Redmond with just four minutes remaining in the first half.

Saints carried on where they left off at the start of the second half and struck again after a stray pass inside his own half from James Tarkowski.

The ball landed at the feet of Ibrahimo Diallo, who slid it first time into the path of Broja to race through and finish past Pope in the 50th minute.

Yet Cornet had the last word seven minutes later, holding off Jan Bednarek to meet Ashley Westwood’s pass and lashing in a spectacular volley from the edge of the area.

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