Fer breaks new boys Burnley’s hearts in late Swans win

Dutch midfielder Leroy Fer struck eight minutes from time to give Swansea City a 1-0 win at newly-promoted Burnley on the opening day of the new Premier League season.

The match at Turf Moor looked to be heading for a goalless draw before Fer popped up in the 82nd minute, firing home a rebound after a Tom Heaton save.

Fer, who made his loan move from Queens Park Rangers into a permanent transfer over the summer, was joined in the Swans’ starting line-up by Spanish striker Fernando Llorente, the recent recruit from Sevilla.

The visitors came close to taking a first-half lead from a Wayne Routledge volley from a Modou Barrow cross and again a minute prior to the interval when Scott Arfield cleared off the line after Jordi Amat had flicked a corner towards goal.

Amat was playing in a Swansea defence that has been shorn of skipper Ashley Williams, sold to Everton.

That defence was rarely troubled in the first half, however, apart from when Burnley broke quickly following a Swansea corner and Andre Gray tried a shot that was straight at Lukasz Fabianski.

Dean Marney headed just over for Sean Dyche’s men just after the restart and there was then a real scare for Swansea when Fabianski completely missed a David Jones corner but Michael Keane was unable to get a touch with the goal beckoning.

Fabianski did better to save from Sam Vokes and Matt Lowton also came close as the game opened up in the second half.

At the other end, Federico Fernandez contrived to miss an open goal from a corner before Burnley handed a debut to summer signing Johann Berg Gudmundsson, the Icelandic international coming off the bench for the final 15 minutes.

At that point it looked as if the Clarets would come away with a draw on their return to the top flight, but then Fer appeared to silence the home support.