HEAVEN EGAN
Sharp Blade John to the rescue
BURNLEY 1 SHEFFIELD UTD 1
SEAN DYCHE believes Burnley’s worsening injury crisis could scupper hopes of a late push for Europe.
The Clarets’ European dreams were dealt a blow after John Egan rescued a point for Sheffield United with his first Premier League goal against a patched-up Burnley at Turf Moor.
Dyche confirmed skipper Ben Mee’s thigh problem and an ankle injury for midfielder Jack Cork mean the pair look set to miss the remainder of the season.
And with several other first team regulars missing the run-in, Dyche hinted that Burnley’s hopes of bagging the final Europa League spot are receding.
“Europe was never the aim of the season – the aim was to stay in the Premier League,” he said. “But you want to get as high up the league as you can.
“It is a badge of honour for a club like ours, or for Sheffield United.
“Even Wolves – they had a really tough start and pulled themselves through it. You want that badge of honour.”
In a match of missed chances by forwards from both sides, it was Burnley defender James Tarkowski who broke the deadlock in the first half (right), before
Blades centre-back Egan found the net with 10 minutes remaining.
There was frustration for Dyche (below top) after his side surrendered a hard-fought lead so close to the finishing line. But of greater concern is a mounting injury list to an already threadbare squad.
Dyche’s side was covered in sticking plasters, with back-up left back Erik Pieters playing in right midfield and Dwight McNeil on the opposite flank to his favoured left, while Kevin Long made a 50th appearance in 10 years at the club in central defence.
Even so, Dyche’s men took the lead through Tarkowski at the end of a first half dominated by the visitors, one in which the Blades had a shout for a penalty turned down when Pieters looked to have handled after 12 minutes.
Either side of that, Clarets goalkeeper Nick Pope had been equal to early shots from Oli McBurnie and Sander Berge as United looked set to follow up their midweek win against Tottenham.
For Burnley, Matej Vydra missed a decent chance after 10 minutes, but it was mainly one-way traffic, with the home side repelling wave after wave of pressure from United.
Still, Tarkowski’s goal, stretching to poke the ball home, put a spring in Burnley’s step, leading to a much better display in the second half.
Their best chance fell to McNeil three minutes before Egan’s equaliser, when Rodriguez fired in a long-range effort which Dean Henderson palmed straight into his path.
Swinging a left foot, the Burnley winger pulled his shot wide. Payback came briskly, Egan netting a carbon copy of Tarkowski’s firsthalf strike, volleying home after Billy Sharp’s nodded glance from Ben Osborn’s cross.
After Burnley’s comeback thrashing at the Etihad they have edged matches against Watford and Crystal Palace, and have now shared the points with United.
They are limping towards the end of a season in which Premier League survival was perhaps the limit of their ambition.
Blades boss Chris Wilder (above) was delighted with the point, even though Egan’s equaliser was his first goal of the season.
He said the Cork-born defender should be weighing in with double figures given the number of chances he has.
“That should have been his 10th goal of the season, not his first,” said Wilder. “John gets into some great positions, but he’ll be the first to admit July 4 should not have seen his first goal of the season.”