Lambert upbeat despite Burnley frustrating Stoke

Paul Lambert has said he remains hopeful that Stoke City can avoid relegation from the Premier League despite failing to hold on to the lead in a game for the second time in six days as they drew 1-1 with Burnley yesterday.

Badou Ndiaye had given 19thplaced Stoke, who had gone into the match five points adrift of safety, the lead after 11 minutes with a low shot that was deflected on its way into the net.

But Burnley hit back in the second half and got an equaliser through Ashley Barnes.

The setback came after they had been held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United on Monday, with Andy Carroll scoring a stoppage-time leveller for West Ham.

Stoke are now four points behind 17th-placed Swansea City with only three games to go, and Lambert admitted that they could not afford to come away from next Saturday’s trip to Liverpool pointless.

“One thing you ask is to give it everything you’ve got,” the Stoke manager told the BBC.

“Since I’ve been here they have – there’s been misfortune. You never know, we have to go to Anfield and get a point. There’s still a lot of twists and turns here.”

Lambert reflected on a chance missed by Mame Biram Diouf, when Stoke were ahead, as proving costly in not putting themselves out of reach before Burnley hit back.

“Mixed feelings after that,” he added. “We started great and got a good goal.

“If we score the second with Mame Biram Diouf’s chance it’s hard for Burnley to come back. But it was never enough. We had some big moments.

“Normally a point is a good point but in our situation we need wins.”

Of Diouf he said: “It’s important the players see I’m right behind them. The one thing about Diouf is he gives you everything. I’m not going to criticise him because he’s been excellent for me.”

Burnley manager Sean Dyche was content with a point, but felt his side could have taken all three on the basis of their second half display.

“It’s a good point, a strange place to come – they have their own things to fight for,” he said. “We’ve got points on the board and seeing if we can finish strong.

“Their keeper was man of the match and I think that’s the story of the game. On another day you might nick another one and get a 2-1.”

Bottom side West Bromwich Albion still have an outside hope of beating the drop after their 2-2 draw at Liverpool on Saturday left them eight points behind Swansea with a maximum of nine still available.

This has come after a surprise renaissance, since manager Alan Pardew was fired, with the comeback against Liverpool coming after they had won at Manchester United the previous weekend.

West Brom caretaker manager Darren Moore refused to dwell on what might have been had the side found their resurgent form a little earlier in the campaign.

“What’s gone is gone, we can’t look back at spilt milk,” he said.

“What happens later in the weekend we can’t look after that. We just continue to work towards the next game.”

Tonight’s action is a mid-table clash between Everton and Newcastle United with both sides having already seen off the threat of relegation as they sit ninth and 10th in the table.