There’s more belief in the players
Burnley and Hull picked up a point each from a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor and it was a day when both managers could take positives from their respective teams performances.
Hull boss Micky Phelan, who received a warm reception from the Burnley fans in the Bob Lord Stand, saw his side score that late goal and said: “Those minutes keep getting added on. We suffered in the last minute of the previous game and credit to our performance.
“We kept going and we didn’t let the goal affect us too much. It’s a terrific free kick in the end and a terrific goal from the Burnley player as well, but we persevered and we got the point.”
Robert Snodgrass scored from the free kick and Phelan said: “He deserves all the credit he’s getting. He’s been a long time injured. He’s worked really hard and he’s probably had moments during that time when he’s doubted him playing so for him to come back and really produce something for both his country and his club within a week is terrific.”
Although naming the same side as in the previous game, he’d a good number of new signings named as substitutes. He added: “The difference is we have got a bench now, people who come on. We have people who can change the way we play.
“We went to two up front and manipulated a situation really and we got our deserves. I thought, first half in particular, we were very strong. We looked as though we were enjoying ourselves and enjoying the game.
“Just after half time we have an unbelievable chance to score a goal and you think that first goal can make a difference. It didn’t happen, we go 1-0 down and you think is there anything left in us. You make substitutions. it came off and we finished the game with a magnificent free kick.”
Sean Dyche, clearly disappointed with that late goal, said: “It’s the reality of football. You have to see the game through and I must say the players pretty much did. It’s good honesty from Ben Mee, who has gone to block the expected shot and just lost his footing. Their lad has then put it in with a good bit of talent to be fair, but we’ve done that to many a team before.
“That’s just the way it goes, but it’s another point on the board in one of the most challenging leagues in the world. That’s four on the board already and it took us a lot longer to get that last time, and it could easily have been six after today.
“There are a lot of good things and I think we are in better shape and stronger and the mix of our football is getting better. We’re not just expecting to roll over everyone, I can assure you, but we’re expecting to be competitive in every game we play and other than the Chelsea game we’ve done that. There’s more belief in the players, so there are plenty of positives.”
Dyche admitted we didn’t make the best of starts to the game. “In the first half we started a little tentatively,” he admitted. “But you have to remember we’ve just had a tough game at Chelsea and that can leave a mark.
“But I thought after 15 or 20 minutes we came into the game and improved again in the second half and overall I felt we just did enough in a close game.”
It was a first Burnley goal for Steven Defour that gave us the lead. Dyche said of his signing from Belgium. “We know Steven is a very good player and that’s why we brought him to this club. He has played 46 times for Belgium in what is arguably one of their golden eras, and he has adapted very well here.
“He’s getting fitter and we’re all seeing that now. In the end he had to come off because his calves were getting tighter because he is still adapting to Premier League football, but I thought his quality was excellent today.”
It was a third start for Defour but Jeff Hendrick was used just for the last quarter of an hour from the bench and Dyche explained: “As for Jeff, he’s only been in the building for 48 hours due to the madness of the transfer window, and you have to get them used to the culture and environment, the tactical side, the game plan and set pieces, and then play them. I decided not to because I think that’s pretty inhumane to do that.”
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