Sometimes the hardest fight to win is the one you are expected to
Burnley beat Rotherham 2-0 at Turf Moor this afternoon and it was game that left visiting manager Neil Warnock delighted with the way his side played despite losing out to goals from Sam Vokes and Scott Arfield.
“I can’t fault the lads and I thought they were super today in everything that they did,” Warnock said after the game.
“They had a bit more quality than us but that’s where they are at the moment. That doesn’t mean that we couldn’t have got something out of the game because I think that was our best period when we had that chance and it’s a great chance and Joe (Newell) is disappointed.
“I thought we showed a lot of spirit today. Then the opportunity to get something out of the game came along and we missed it unfortunately.
“I don’t think Lee (Camp) has had many saves to make if I’m honest. They’ve got quality and they’d be delighted to beat us 1-0, let alone 2-0.”
He added: “I love it when I see lads giving me everything like they have today. I can have no complaints whatsoever. I was really pleased with what they put in. We had an opportunity when Joe missed the chance to make it 1-1 and you felt that was it really.
“I think then it would have been a little bit nervous for Burnley and we gave them a penalty early on which made it a little bit easier for them.
“I thought we were equal to them and they had a lot of diagonal balls put into them and you get what you pay for with players like Andre Gray.”
Lloyd Doyley came in for his debut with Greg Halford coming back into the side. Warnock said: “It was a first game for Greg Halford for a long time an Lloyd Doyley as well, so overall I thought they did ever so well and that includes young Wardy (Grant Ward) coming on.
“Lloyd is a good player and you know what you’re getting. He could have let it run through to the keeper but that’s the decision he’s made. The way things were going today it was sod’s law that they were going to get a penalty.”
He ended by saying: “I think I’m going to enjoy the last 14 games because the lads are going to give me everything. When you’re a manager in the dugout like that you can’t ask for any more.”
It was a third successive home win for the Clarets to add to the successes against promotion chasing Derby and Hull. Sean Dyche said after the game: “We have played some fantastic football here recently, but today wasn’t about that.
“Today was about endeavour, guts, determination and then the moments of quality and we got all of that right today. It was a bitty game that wasn’t always easy on the eye, but we’ve taken care of business well.
“It’s always tricky when a new manager comes in and changes the format. Neil’s teams are always hard to play against, so we knew it would be a tough game. You have to play your game, but you also have to deal with how the opposition play and we formed a way of playing today to get the all important win. I really like that.
“Credit to Rotherham because they have come here and had a real go. It’s probably a free one in their eyes and their manager is a wily old fox who made it difficult by getting the ball forward a lot today, but we dealt with that and I am just really pleased overall.
“Some of our pockets of play produced some very good football and we didn’t half create some chances. The strange thing is we were 1-0 up and looking solid and they had one of the best chances of the game.
“That’s why we love the game because they could have got back in it, but then we go and take one of our chances to seal it. I think it would have been unjust if they had got something from the game, but you never know. Sometimes the hardest fight to win is the one you are expected to and we took care of business well today.”
The manager explained the situation with Michael Keane. He said: “Michael just felt a little bit off. Nowadays they are far more diligent with head injuries and rightly so, and our medical team made a call on it.
“He is fine now though, but obviously we will keep an eye on him over the next 24 hours.”
Back up to second, but he said: “I’m not really that worried about the table at this stage. I’m aware of it, of course, but my job is to focus on the next game and we roll on to Tuesday. The lads will have a settled night now knowing they have got an important win to take us forward and we’ve got a good mentality, but winning one doesn’t owe you anything next time.”
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