We’re so strong and today was a moment of truth
Burnley came home from Birmingham with a much needed three points in a 2-1 win and we take a look at what the two managers had to say after the game.
Gary Rowett’s side earned a point in a 2-2 draw in our first home game of the season but today he saw his team end the game with ten men after their first red card of the season. However, he was pleased with his team’s performance.
“I thought we were fantastic today,” he said. “I thought it was a really strong performance at a difficult point of the season, when you know Burnley are an excellent side. We started the game really well, on the front foot, won lots of second balls and moved the ball well and showed good discipline. I’m very, very pleased.
“It’s a game of small margins. Jacques (Maghoma) has a really good chance early on when he probably should do better. He nearly gets his head kicked off after four minutes, which for me is a blatant penalty. I’ve looked at it again a number of times and I don’t know how the referee doesn’t see it.
“After that we were really good. we conceded a poor goal from our point of view. We get into a good position but Mikael (Kieftenbeld) doesn’t quite get enough on his clearance. You make mistakes against Burnley and they’re excellent at punishing it. They’re a tough side to play against.
“We came out in the second half, again on the front foot and if you look at a Burnley side that are probably going to get promoted, I thought we were better than them today, but they manage to get results in games that perhaps they don’t play as well in. That’s a skill in itself and you have to take your hat off to them.
“We then look like we’re going to win the game. Groundsy (Jonathan Grounds) hits the bar. Clayton (Donaldson) gets into a fantastic position. I think he’s offside and he’s a little bit wasteful with a touch and ends up spurning a chance, and again should do better.
“We’ve chased it and kept going and we’ve conceded a really, really poor goal. Again with small margins, we’ve forced a lad wide, two players are out there and we’ve got to stop the cross and we allow the ball to come in. The last person you want it to fall to is Andre Gray and he finishes it off. One chance, I think that’s the only chance he had all game. That’s the difference, he’s cost a lot of money and that’s what he’s paid to do.
“That’s something we’ve not done is be clinical enough when we’ve played well. It’s a difficult stage of the season. We know we can’t get into the play-offs, so it’s hard when you’ve put that much effort in to keep going mentally and physically, but I was really enthused by today’s performance. It was a really positive performance to take forward.”
Rowett certainly wasn’t happy with the red card shown to Jon Toral, a second yellow card for a foul on Lloyd Dyer. “Lloyd’s come off and said he’s not touched him,” Rowett confirmed. “The referee’s said to me that he thought he was going into an advantageous position. That’s got nothing to do with it. If he hasn’t touched him, it makes no difference.
“Jon catches Joey Barton earlier on but I don’t think it was a malicious tackle. I think he (Barton) made a bit of it and we end up getting a yellow straightaway. But for him to get sent off for that I think is poor refereeing, it’s as simple as that.
Sean Dyche looked as animated as I’ve ever seen him at the end of a game as he came over to the Burnley fans pointing to his jaw. “I just think it’s important the fans know that I and my players are in this with them,” he said.
“I spoke about an alignment when I came here three years ago and I think there is an understanding from the fans that we will give everything. I just felt this was an appropriate time to remind them that we have got a strong jaw.
“We showed that, to come back from their goal and still create the chances we did and when the moment of truth came and Andre smacked it in the goal. To then see the game out in the manner we did was very good.”
Both Brighton and Middlesbrough had won ahead of our game but Dyche said: “There was plenty of noise around regarding stuff from elsewhere, but the clarity of performance is what we do. We can’t affect any of that other stuff. if a twist of fate helps you, then great. If not, it doesn’t affect your own challenge and ours is to keep winning games.
“We believe in what we do for a reason and that’s because we go to win every game and it was on show again today. I am just so pleased with the mental side of our game because the lads are looking really, really good at the minute. We’re so strong and today was a moment of truth. People would have been questioning that one, so to come back and win was a strong message.
“This is a tough place to come, but to see through that, handle the occasion, play the football we did and score the goals is terrific.”
Dyche cleared up one or two injury concerns on Sam Vokes and Joey Barton. He said: “We think Sam has every chance for Tuesday. We have deliberately made a call on that, and Joey had a tight calf just before half time. He is old enough and wise enough and felt it and that decision was made quickly.”
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