Burnley beats Fulham in first EPL game handled by a female referee

By: The Associated Press Posted: 11:43 AM CST Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023

LONDON (AP) — Burnley scored long-range goals through Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge to beat Fulham 2-0 in the first English Premier League game to be handled by a female referee on Saturday.

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LONDON (AP) — Burnley scored long-range goals through Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge to beat Fulham 2-0 in the first English Premier League game to be handled by a female referee on Saturday.

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LONDON (AP) — Burnley scored long-range goals through Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge to beat Fulham 2-0 in the first English Premier League game to be handled by a female referee on Saturday.

Rebecca Welch was the match official for the game at Craven Cottage in a landmark moment for the competition, and she made her first big intervention when brandishing a yellow card to Calvin Bassey late in the first half after the defender struck Josh Brownhill with his hand.

Burnley, which earned its third win, took the lead in the 47th minute after neat build-up play saw the ball arrive at the feet of Odobert. He took a touch and curled a shot into the top right corner of the net.

Referee Rebecca Welch gestures next to Fulham's Bobby Decordova-Reid during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Burnley at Craven Cottage stadium in London, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. Welch is the first female referee ever to officiate an English Premier League game. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Berge made it 2-0 after 66 minutes when he retrieved the ball on the halfway line and drove to the edge of Fulham’s box where he rifled his strike past Bernd Leno.

Next-to-last Burnley stayed in the relegation zone but moved to within three points of safety.

It was mid-table Fulham’s second straight league loss, with those defeats coming either side of a quarterfinal win over Everton in the English League Cup.