WATCH | Lyle Foster scores his first Premier League goal

Lyle Foster scored his first Premier League (EPL) goal in just his second match in the top-flight but could not help Burnley avoid a 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa at Turf Moor in Burnley on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Bafana Bafana striker is proving a favourite for manager Vincent Kompany as 2022-23 Championship winners Burnley have made a battling start to life back in the EPL.

Foster started and impressed in attack in Burnley’s first game back in the EPL, a 3-0 defeat away against Manchester City. He started again in their second match on Sunday and brought the Clarets back to 2-1 with a well-taken strike in the 47th minute after a brace by Matty Cash for Villa in the first half.

France forward Moussa Diaby sealed the game for Villa in the 61st.

Defender Cash, playing his 100th match for Villa, was the unlikely hero as he scored for the first time for over a year in their third straight victory in all competitions since their 5-1 thrashing at Newcastle United on the opening day of the season.

The Poland international put the visitors in front in the eighth minute as he turned in a looping Ollie Watkins cross at the end of a swift counterattack.

Cash doubled the lead 12 minutes later, steering home Diaby’s cutback to complete a slick move.

Belgian defender Hannes Delcroix, who was signed from Anderlecht this month, had a debut to forget in Burnley’s back line but did well to deny Diaby with a well-timed interception.

Burnley began the second half on the front foot and were rewarded with a goal as Foster outmuscled Pau Torres in the area and rifled his shot past Robin Olsen.

In a frenetic 10 minutes after the goal, Burnley had several chances to equalise, with Olsen keeping out a goal-bound Delcroix header, but Villa weathered the storm.

As Burnley continued to commit bodies forward, Villa struck again through Diaby, who slotted from the edge of the area.

Orlando Pirates youth product Foster joined Burnley for a record South African transfer fee in January and played 11 games in the Championship, scoring one goal, and four in the FA Cup in the second half of last season.