Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has told his players the latest VAR controversy to hurt their survival chances shows they must rely on themselves as they cannot expect favours from anyone else.

Kompany was fuming after Carlton Morris’s controversial stoppage-time equaliser cost them victory in Friday’s 1-1 draw with relegation rivals Luton.

Morris headed into an empty net in the second minute of time added on but only after Elijah Adebayo had blocked off Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford as he looked to gather Alfie Doughty’s cross.

Burnley had led since Zeki Amdouni’s 36th-minute strike and appeared on course for only their second home win of the season, one that would put them one point behind the Hatters and two behind 17th-placed Everton, who host Aston Villa on Sunday, but instead the result left them four points adrift of safety.

Kompany’s frustration was obvious in a post-match press conference as he described the situation as a “joke” and pointed to previous incidents at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth where refereeing decisions have cost the Clarets.

But while Burnley will make their feelings known on the issue, Kompany said he and his players must focus on themselves.

“We’ll keep focusing on our performance and to do what we have to do to give ourselves a chance to stay up,” he said when asked if such decisions were going to cost Burnley come the end of the campaign.

“At this moment in time, I don’t want to draw these types of conclusions because it’s admitting defeat and I won’t do it. But it has to rally us if anything, rally us to be more united, more together and more willing to go the extra yard and not expect any favours from anyone.”

VAR controversies have come to the fore this season, and Kompany said there needed to be “better mechanisms” in place to deal with to the system.

“I love this sport and I want to fight for it,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to be in the referee’s shoes nowadays, I have sympathy for them. I think there’s a lot of new elements now and scrutiny and it’s difficult for them to even come to a logical decision.

“Them missing something that everyone sees like this is probably the result of the general confusion around a lot of decisions. I have sympathy but I have also a lot of frustration right now.”

Luton boss Rob Edwards admitted he would have been upset to have been on the wrong end of the decision but he and his players could celebrate a point that was their seventh from the last four league games and which moved them level with Everton.

Although Burnley had the better chances in the game, it was Luton who had more of the ball and Edwards said it showed the progression they have made.

“What pleased me most was the performance,” he said. “We’d never have been able to come here and dominate a game like that. We were really good with the ball and I loved a lot of that…

“We have got a fighting chance, it’s a fact. We’re performing really well, we’re in good form. I don’t think anyone can deny that and we are getting points. In the last four games we’ve got points from three of them and we’ve performed well so of course we’ve got a fighting chance.”

Vincent Kompany fumed over the decision to allow Luton’s controversial stoppage-time equaliser as Burnley were denied a crucial three points in a 1-1 draw against their relegation rivals at Turf Moor.

Carlton Morris headed into an empty net after Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford was blocked by Elijah Adebayo as he tried to claim Alfie Doughty’s cross, but referee Tony Harrington was unmoved and VAR Peter Bankes upheld the goal following a lengthy check.

After Zeki Amdouni’s 36th-minute goal, Burnley had been moments away from celebrating a win that would have put them a point behind Luton and within touching distance of safety, but instead it was the Hatters who moved level on points with 17th-placed Everton.

“It’s a joke, a joke,” the Burnley boss said. “I will start by saying 100 per cent respect and credit to Luton, they’re a terrific outfit, what they do as a club, the players, managers, they deserve whatever is coming to them, a really good club.

“In that phase I’ve just got to defend my team, my club. I don’t understand how we can go through this phase and those events and not come to the conclusion it’s a foul.

“The striker, good luck to him, his first look is at the goalkeeper, he has a look and takes a couple of steps back and backs into him, clears a way for his colleague, then has a look at the referee to see if he gets away with it. The ball goes in, none of the Luton players celebrate, nobody.”

Kompany pointed to a series of controversial decisions that have gone against his side this season.

“For those that where there for Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Forest, how many times is it going to keep happening? A couple of lines in the newspaper and on we go. Consequences? Zero,” he said.

“Maybe we get a bit on one of the specialist things where they explain the referee decision but we won’t spend too much time on it because we need to talk about Manchester United and Liverpool. And we move on…

“It’s against my nature because I would like to congratulate Luton and tell my players what we have to do to improve. I’m shocked.

“I’m disappointed but if you know me tomorrow the only people I will blame is ourselves, what can we do better? But hopefully it will balance out and then we’ll get a lot of angry managers from the opposition when it does.”

Luton boss Rob Edwards admitted he would have been disappointed to have been on Burnley’s end of the decision, but did his best to argue there had been no foul.

“Obviously I’m really pleased to get a point,” he said. “In the end that’s nothing less than we deserved. We were excellent. We dominated large spells of the game. In the first half we dominated and looked a threat. In the second half we blocked things up a bit more made it difficult to get behind…

“We showed a lot of control without hurting them but we kept going, the team doesn’t give in and we found a way, whatever way it was.

“It’s difficult. VAR is there to show if a decision is blatantly wrong and I don’t think it is blatantly wrong. But I can understand their frustration. There is contact there with James Trafford but if it hadn’t have been given I would have been frustrated because it was pretty minimal.”

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany expressed his frustration after his side were held 1-1 at home by a controversial late goal from Carlton Morris.

Morris headed into the net in stoppage time following a collision between his fellow Hatters forward Elijah Adebayo and Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford, with referee Tony Harrington unmoved and the effort standing after a lengthy check from VAR.

Kompany told TNT Sports: “I don’t get it anymore. If we get a foul against us that is given as a penalty that is as soft as it is against Aston Villa (the 3-2 loss on December 30), then what is this here?

“There’s a clear attempt to stop the goalkeeper getting up. It doesn’t take anything away from the performance by Luton, I thought they were incredible today. But it’s just a moment there where the referee has to get it right.

“I think any ex-pro will say they understand what the striker has been doing in this case, clearing the room for the other striker.”

Kompany, whose men had led against their relegation rivals through Zeki Amdouni’s 36th-minute strike, added: “First I expect the referee to see it, it was that obvious.

“None of the Luton players have celebrated. The striker (looks) to the referee, to see if he got away with it.

“Luckily we have VAR, we think that is going to sort it out, and then it rolls, it rolls, lack of decision and that’s it, 1-1.

“I’m absolutely fine if we concede this goal and it’s consistent and this is allowed – if everyone can do it, I’ll tell my players to do it.

“But we dropped points at Villa after the softest red card and softest penalty against us, and it just keeps happening.

“Here I’m like ‘what do I go and tell (my players)?’. I don’t understand what’s happened to them a couple of weeks ago, what’s happened to them now. The frustration at this moment is very difficult to hide, it’s very difficult to digest it.”

Vincent Kompany said Burnley will need more outstanding individual performances in order to survive in the Premier League after goalkeeper James Trafford put in a superb display in his team’s 1-1 draw against Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

The visitors took the lead against the run of play courtesy of a brilliant strike from Wilson Odobert, taking advantage as three Brighton players stood off him and unleashing a wicked drive that nicked off James Milner and flew over goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen into the top corner.

At that stage, Trafford had already saved well from Milner and Pascal Gross, and he continued to repel the home side’s attempts to claw the game back, racing from his goal to keep out Simon Adingra with a sprawling block in the second half.

Burnley were finally breached when Adingra nodded in a cross from the excellent Gross minutes later, but Trafford would save his best until last, first showing outstanding reflexes to beat away a header from substitute Jack Hinshelwood in stoppage time before flinging himself towards the top corner to somehow fingertip Karou Mitoma’s volley over the bar.

“The game demanded it at the end,” said Kompany. “You don’t come to these places and get a result without moments like this.

“It’s in the bank for him (Trafford), in terms of having come through this. He needs to keep working on becoming the best he can be. We’re very fortunate to have two very good goalkeepers.

“His season has been no different to everyone else in the team. He’s improved throughout the season, shown good signs. He’s been more and more consistent and ultimately at this level consistency is the key word.

“We have more and more players who perform at a consistent level. In games like today, without someone having an outstanding performance, you never get results.”

Burnley were seeking just their second away win of the season but despite defending bravely after taking the lead they were left to rue more dropped points on the road, though the gap to Everton in 17th place has been cut to two points.

“We’re not at a level yet where we can compete every week with teams like Brighton on an equal level,” said Kompany.

“There’s a tremendous belief in me that the club is going in the right direction.

“Our biggest, unique strength is it’s an elite club in terms of the attitude, the standard and the habits. I would put us against anybody. The amount of belief and resilience we’ve got. It’s a special club that really lives.

“It’s not for no reason that after such a tough start, you still see progression, you still see people getting better. That won’t stop.”

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi reflected that there is still a way to go before his side can consider themselves amongst the league’s top bracket.

“I consider my team a very good team, I have big, big confidence,” he said.

“There isn’t anyone more than me who believes in my players. But we are not a top team yet, because a top team wins today, against Sheffield (United) and against Fulham (both games finished 1-1 at the Amex).

“Winning these three games, we would be third in the table. These three games, we played very well, and we deserved to win.

“Why didn’t we win these three games? Maybe because we are not a top team yet. Maybe the coach of Brighton is not a top, top coach yet.”

Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford can take the Premier League by storm and reach the very top, according to his England Under-21 coach Joleon Lescott.

Trafford is in line for a top-flight debut on Friday against old club Manchester City, who allowed him to make the move to Turf Moor last month.

While Trafford is only 20 and has never played higher than Sky Bet League One, he starred for England during the summer to earn them European Under-21 Championship glory with a stunning stoppage-time penalty-kick save to deny Abel Ruiz in the 1-0 win over Spain.

Lescott was part of Lee Carsley’s staff for the tournament and knows the young goalkeeper from his time as loan manager at City.

TNT Sports pundit Lescott said: “James is ready for the Premier League. He is top, he is top with temperament, quality.

“I think everyone sees the quality but his temperament is he loves it, but nothing fazes him. He is not bothered by anything.

“He said it in his interview after the (Spain) game, that he knew he would save a penalty and I genuinely believe him. In no arrogant way at all, I think he is just so comfortable with his quality. He works extremely hard and is so aware of what it will take to have a top career.

“I have no doubt he will reach the very top of the game.

“Potentially he ends up back there (at Man City). But James will go on to have an exceptional career.”

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Asked if Trafford could make his senior debut for England soon if he impresses for Vincent Kompany’s new boys, Lescott added: “Yeah, 100 per cent. Whatever he achieves, touch wood barring any unfortunate injuries, will not surprise me.

“I spoke to Vinny before they acquired him and I told him I’ve not seen a keeper that composed at that age, so yeah he’s very good.”

Former City defender Lescott is equally enthusiastic about how old team-mate Kompany will fare during his maiden campaign in the Premier League.

Kompany and Burnley took the Championship by storm last season, but they are odds-on to return back to the second tier ahead of Friday’s opener.

“Vinny will be prepared and nothing Vinny does will surprise me,” Lescott insisted.

“He will not leave any stone unturned. I don’t think it’ll be easy, but Vincent is a very impressive coach, a very impressive man, and a very fast learner.

“I’m sure he’ll recognise what allows Burnley to stay in the league and try to do that to the best of his capabilities.”

The fixture gods have not been kind to Burnley but while it does not get much tougher than hosting the Premier League champions, Lescott feels Pep Guardiola’s side could struggle early on after the high of clinching the treble with a first Champions League title in June.

Lescott admitted: “I think the fact that people are just assuming they can do that again, the quadruple and treble, I think it slightly underestimates what they’ve achieved and how hard that is.

“That could potentially produce a slower start to the season and (other) teams are raring to go

“I’m sure they’re the team to beat and everybody recognises that, but it can take a toll what they’ve achieved.”

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James Trafford claimed he knew he was going to save the penalty which clinched European Under-21 Championship glory for England.

The 20-year-old Burnley-bound Manchester City goalkeeper, who spent last season on loan at League One Bolton, repelled Spain skipper Abel Ruiz’s stoppage-time spot-kick and then blocked substitute Aimar Oroz’s follow-up to ensure Curtis Jones’ goal was enough to secure a 1-0 final victory at the Batumi Arena.

Trafford told UEFA TV: “I told everyone this morning I was going to save a pen and, when it was a penalty, I knew I was going to save it, so it was pretty easy, to be honest.

“I told all my mates back home I was going to save one.”

Trafford’s heroics, which came after defender Levi Colwill had been penalised for his challenge on Ruiz following a VAR review six minutes into added time, provided a memorable conclusion to a hard-fought contest as England claimed the title for the third time and the first since 1984, denying the Spaniards a record sixth triumph.

His clean sheet meant Lee Carsley’s men did not concede a single goal at the finals, a feat never before achieved.

Trafford said: “It means a lot for us, the record, because it will take a massive effort to get broken. But we’re a very good team and we believe that no-one can score against us and we showed it.”

England, watched by senior boss Gareth Southgate in Georgia, had to survive a late onslaught as Spain fought desperately for a way back into the game, but battled manfully to reach their goal.

Player of the Tournament Anthony Gordon admitted several of his team-mates could have claimed the prize.

Gordon said: “I’m absolutely delighted. I feel I have had a good tournament, but me with the individual trophy is down to my team-mates and the staff.

“The squad is really unselfish. Six or seven of us might have won it, that shows how good we’ve been.

“Trafford could have been player of the tournament. He was incredible. I’ve never seen a goalkeeper perform like that with my own eyes.”

Disappointed Spain coach Santi Denia saluted the “extraordinary” efforts of his players and staff.

Denia said: “I feel extremely proud of everyone, not only the players, but everyone who forms part of this family. They’ve all worked in an extraordinary manner.

“The team have kept growing and we tried until the very last minute. We are strong and we will keep growing with this way of playing.”

James Trafford saved a stoppage-time penalty to earn England European Under-21 Championship glory for the first time in 39 years as they edged past Spain.

The Burnley goalkeeper repelled Abel Ruiz’s spot-kick, awarded after a VAR review in the sixth minute of added time, and then kept out substitute Aimar Oroz’s follow-up at the end of a pulsating contest at the Batumi Arena in Georgia.

In the process, he became the first man to keep six clean sheets at the finals to help his side claim glory courtesy of a 1-0 victory, having not conceded a single goal at the tournament.

Liverpool Curtis Jones’ had earlier given England, playing in front of senior boss Gareth Southgate, the lead in first-half stoppage time when he deflected Cole Palmer’s free-kick past keeper Arnau Tenas.

A third title and a first since 1984 was delivered on a dramatic evening in Georgia which saw England coach Ashley Cole and one of his Spanish counterparts, as well as substituted midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and Spain’s Antonio Blanco, sent off on the sidelines.

Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon made his presence felt early on, cutting inside from Emile Smith Rowe’s pass to force Tenas into a fifth-minute save, with Palmer unable to convert the rebound, then turning smartly and crossing unselfishly to hand Gibbs-White a tap-in, had it not been for defender Jon Pacheco’s intervention.

The Spanish response was concerted as Manchester City’s Sergio Gomez and Braga striker Ruiz brought their influence to bear.

Trafford was sent sprawling across his goal by Alex Baena’s 16th-minute strike before defender Aitor Paredes glanced Gomez’s corner across goal, with Ruiz unable to reach the ball before it ran out of play.

England, who had been guilty of repeatedly surrendered possession cheaply, started to fire, Palmer warming Tenas’ hands with a well-struck 25-yard drive and defender Levi Colwill heading Palmer’s free-kick against a post with the keeper beaten.

But the Manchester City man played a key role as the deadlock was broken on the stroke of half-time. After Palmer had been tripped by club-mate Gomez, Jones, making a nuisance of himself in front of the defensive wall, unwittingly deflected his free-kick past the helpless Tenas.

Colwill and Oihan Sancet were booked and England coach Cole and one of his Spanish counterparts sent off amid a melee in the wake of the goal, but the former Arsenal and Chelsea full-back’s side led at the break.

Ruiz thought he had levelled within six minutes of the restart, but his bullet header from a Gomez free-kick was correctly ruled offside, although England looked rattled with Spain making a big push in the early stages of the half.

However, they rallied and, with full-back Max Aarons providing another outlet down the left, began the threaten once again and Gibbs-White might have done better from Gordon’s 64th-minute pull-back, with the Spanish stretched.

Tenas kept Spain in it by clawing away Jones’ attempt at the end of a pacy break seconds later and Ruiz should have levelled when he got his head to to Gomez’s 68th-minute cross, but missed the target by inches.

But as the clock ticked towards the 96th minute, Norwegian referee Espen Eskas was advised to take a second look at Colwill’s challenge on Ruiz and ultimately pointed to the spot, but Trafford’s heroics sparked wild English celebrations.