Share this page :
FacebooktwittermailFacebooktwittermail

Brighton and Burnley fought out a 0-0 draw yesterday at the Amex Stadium and it was a game that the two managers saw differently, particularly over the penalty awarded to Brighton in the first half by referee Chris Kavanagh.

Home boss Chris Hughton said after the game: “We were reliant on Maty (goalkeeper Ryan) making a really good save in the second half, but it shouldn’t have got to that stage. In our better period of the game, we had the penalty, which certainly was a penalty, good opportunities and, on the balance of play, I thought we were far better.

“We looked more likely to score and certainly, in those periods, that’s when you have to score, because if you give a team like Burnley encouragement, they can capitalise on it.”

Embed from Getty Images
On that penalty, he added: “You’ve got two competitive players and we all want to see that. There’s going to be that physicality between the two of them, but the things that matter are the major incidents.

“They were the penalty that was given and the penalty that should have been given, when Tarkowski elbowed Glenn (Murray) in the ribs. Glenn generally doesn’t go down and stay down, and certainly from where we were at the time, and after seeing it again, we thought it was a penalty. The referee would then have to make a decision on whether it’s a red card or not.”

He concluded: “Burnley at this minute are probably in as good a form as they’ve ever been in. They gave us a tough test today, but I thought we were the better team over the ninety minutes and looked like the team more likely to win it.

“We have to be encouraged by those things and we’ve got another home game as our next game, and we’ll need to capitalise on that.”

Sean Dyche certainly accepted we weren’t at our best and admitted: “I thought today, on reflection, that a point is a very good result. It was a tight game. They rested players to go down to Tottenham in the week and they obviously viewed this as a big game and one they could win.

“I’m pleased that they didn’t and I’m pleased that we had a third clean sheet and seven points in a week. In the Premier League that’s a tough ask and I’m delighted with the players for their week’s work. Finding ways to win and finding ways to get a point in this league is very difficult, no matter who you are playing, so that’s a really good return.”

He was particularly pleased with us preventing Brighton from scoring. “I’m pleased with the defensive work and it’s another clean sheet for Popey,” he added. “He’s not had great things to do, but he made a big save in the first half. His handing was very good and he comes for crosses, but he’s got a team in front of him that is willing to work.

“I thought we were going strong as the game went on. They had the better of the first half, when we weren’t really at the races, but in the second half we got stronger and stronger in a hard fought awkward game for both teams. They wanted to come out of an awkward run whereas we are on a very good run and wanted to continue that. It made for a tight affair.

And now, Dyche’s opinion on the penalty award. “That’s an honest attempt to go and run for the ball and it’s a tangle of legs,” he said. “It’s hard because it’s in the area and do they get given or not? If that’s in the middle of the pitch does it get given? It’s a tangle of legs, there is no deliberate action, I don’t think, but it’s a tough one to call. That’s what it looked like from where I was.”

Follow UpTheClarets:
FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter


Share this page :
FacebooktwittermailFacebooktwittermail