Hendrick strike makes it happy anniversary for boss Dyche

JEFF HENDRICK stepped up at the right moment as Burnley’s Irish contingent helped them to victory over Newcastle to give Martin O’Neill some encouragement from the Premier League weekend.

Hendrick scored the only goal, and just Burnley’s third at home this season, as he came through the full 90 minutes along with his international colleagues Robbie Brady and Stephen Ward.

Another member of O’Neill’s squad, Newcastle ’keeper Rob Elliot, was powerless to prevent his effort, which proved enough for Sean Dyche to mark the fifth anniversary of his appointment at Turf Moor with a valuable win.

Dyche is the Premier League’s third longest-serving manager and it is performances like these which form the foundations of his remarkable body of work in east Lancashire. This was an even contest against Rafael Benitez’s Newcastle United, who like Burnley have quietly impressed at the start of the new season.

Turf Moor has a reputation for being something of a fortress, but Burnley began the night having only won one of their past seven home league matches.

Dyche’s men attempted to fix that with a purposeful start. Before the first minute had elapsed, Hendrick had latched onto a loose knock-down to send a glancing shot across the face of Elliot’s goal.

GATHERED

The visitors eventually gathered themselves but only provided a threat of their own once their most naturally gifted player began imposing himself on the contest. Minutes after playing the pass of the night – a long, raking ball that split Burnley’s backline but ultimately came to nought – Jonjo Shelvey decided to go it alone with a shot from range that stung Nick Pope’s palms.

The second half would require something different and Ayoze Perez tried to find it with a curling attempt on goal after Joselu’s neat lay-off a few minutes after the restart. For the first time, one of the goalkeepers was made to work, with Pope stretching to push it around his far post. A welcome bit of light relief came at the expense of Joselu when, while attempting to close down a dawdling Pope, he received an accidental boot below the belt. Even his manager could not help but smile during his lengthy spell of treatment.

For a while, it looked as though that unfortunate moment would be the second half’s highlight, but Burnley began to turn the screw. Jack Cork tested Elliot from range but his it was his next effort, parried by the Newcastle ’keeper, that proved more telling.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson sent a cross to the far post where Hendrick was unmarked and waiting to chest the ball down then shoot high into the unguarded net. (© Independent News Service)