Football Briefs: Hendrick strikes late as Burnley beat Newcastle

Burnley moved up to seventh in the Premier League after a 74th minute strike from Irish midfielder Jeff Hendrick gave them a 1-0 win over Newcastle United at Turf Moor on Monday.

Their fourth win of the campaign moves Burnley level on 16 points with Liverpool while promoted Newcastle slip to ninth but it was a game which most neutrals will quickly forget.

On a cold night in East Lancashire, neither side were able to find their rhythm and for a large part of the game a goalless draw looked the most likely outcome.

Burnley, without club record signing Chris Wood who was sidelined by a hamstring injury, began brightly with Jack Cork and Steven Defour controlling the centre of midfield as the Clarets enjoyed plenty of early possession.

But Newcastle gradually grew into the game and fired an early warning shot in the 17th minute when Jonjo Shelvey warmed the hands of Burnley keeper Nick Pope after being set up by Christian Atsu.

There was little to excite the crowd in the opening 45 minutes but right after the interval Spaniard Ayoze Perez went close for Newcastle with a curling effort from the left that Pope did well to push around the post.

Burnley responded by taking a firm grip on proceedings in midfield with Cork influential with his incisive passing and vision, although too often lone striker Ashley Barnes was either isolated or not given effective service.

Cork was the creator when Burnley finally broke the deadlock. The former Swansea City midfielder’s low shot was parried by keeper Rob Elliot and Johann Berg Gudmundsson pounced on the loose ball, swinging a low cross to the back post where Hendrick controlled the ball and converted.

The Magpies went close to an equaliser when Spanish forward Joselu screwed a shot just wide of Pope’s right-hand post and manager Rafa Benitez threw on Dwight Gayle as an extra striker.

The home side's Barnes then nearly got some reward for his hard work with a low effort which Elliot had to tip wide.

But there was a late scare in added time for Burnley when Newcastle twice went close, with a shot by Isaac Hayden saved by Nick Pope and then a Javier Manquillo header from a Shelvey cross that flashed just over the bar.

Verona's Pazzini converts penalty with first touch, Inter go on to win

Verona substitute Giampaolo Pazzini came on and converted a penalty with his first touch of the ball but that was not enough to prevent his side being beaten 2-1 at home by Inter Milan in Serie A on Monday.

Ivan Perisic rifled in Inter's winner as they moved back into second place but it was Verona's penalty, which took around four minutes to award with the help of the video assistant referee (VAR), which was the talking point of the game.

Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic collided with Verona forward Alessio Cerci as they went for the ball in the penalty area and referee Claudio Gavillucci initially waved play on.

However, when play stopped around 30 seconds later, the referee signalled that he was consulting the VAR.

After a two-minute wait, the referee went to the touchline to look a the monitor himself, returned to the pitch and awarded the penalty, amid angry Inter protests.

Former Italy forward Pazzini, who had been waiting to come on, entered the pitch, went straight to the penalty spot and sent Handanovic the wrong way to equalise in the 59th minute.

However, Inter, who had taken the lead through Borja Valero in the 36th minute, regained the lead eight minutes later when a Verona clearance landed at the feet of Perisic who blasted an unstoppable shot into the net.

Valero's goal, a volley at the far post from Antonio Candreva's cross, was the Spaniard's first for Inter.

Unbeaten Inter have 29 points from 11 games, two behind leaders Napoli, while Juventus and Lazio have 28. Promoted Verona stayed one off the bottom with six points after their seventh defeat of the season.

Giovinco on target as Toronto win first leg

Italy striker Sebastian Giovinco's second-half free kick proved the difference as Toronto FC beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on the road in the opening leg of the MLS Eastern Conference semi-final on Monday.

The former Juventus forward, who has scored more goals from free kicks than anyone else in the short history of the MLS, displayed his pinpoint precision in the 72nd minute when he curled the ball into the net from 24 yards out.

Toronto opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Spanish midfielder Victor Vazquez slotted home the rebound after Jozy Altidore's cross had been pushed out to near the penalty spot by New York goalkeeper Luis Robles.

The Red Bulls equalised during stoppage time at the end of the first half courtesy of a Daniel Royer spot kick after Drew Moor had fouled English striker Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Toronto, the top playoff seed, host the second leg on Sunday.