Dyche will not allow slacking at Turf Moor
STRIKER Sam Vokes says Burnley boss Sean Dyche refused to let his squad light the cigars to celebrate reaching 40 points for virtual Premier League safety.
The “Ginger Mourinho” ordered his troops to continue their gruelling training schedule all last week to fully prepare for the final two games of the season.
There was not a flip-flop in sight as Dyche demanded business as usual day after day.
He would then spend the evenings scouring the list of possible new players with a further £100million of Premier League cash heading for Turf Moor this summer.
Vokes scored twice against West Brom last Saturday to help the Clarets reach that 40-point milestone.
And he cannot say enough about the dynamism of Dyche which has kept the club in the top flight.
He said: “It’s all about how we have gone about our business day in, day out – we haven’t switched off.
“We have been in training every day and are still working hard.
“He emphasised at the start of the week that those next two games were still massive for us.
“It’s important that we keep stepping forward – and the gaffer has been a massive part of that.
“He has built the club up from where we were and now we have enjoyed the success of staying in the Premier League.
“We have learned a lot this season.
“A lot was made of our away form this year and I think the win against Crystal Palace recently was huge for us.
“Our target was 40 points but at the start of the year it was to make Turf Moor a bit of a fortress.
“We have done that this season and picked up some massive wins at home.”
Vokes has formed a double act up front with Ashley Barnes in the last few games, despite not previously starting a game together all season.
And the Dyche one-two combination has been a real knockout.
Vokes added: “It’s been great. The competition for places now is really strong.
“There are no grumbles within the camp, though, when the gaffer chooses which two are going to play.
“That shows the character of the boys – that we can get on with our job and do well.” Sam Vokes’ 83rd- minute equaliser looked to have earned the Clarets a point. But King fired home two minutes later as the Cherries claimed victory in their final home game of the season. Junior Stanislas had given Bournemouth the lead with his first-half effort. Bournemouth now climb up into 10th after reaching a record 45 points, while Burnley stay 14th and are safe from the drop, barring two Hull victories by improbable margins in their final two games. Cherries boss Eddie Howe said: “It would mean everything to be in the top half of the Premier League and it didn’t seem realistic a few years ago. “But we are here on merit and we have one game left to finish the job.” Home s kipper Simon Francis wasted the first chance of the game from long range. But it was only a temporary reprieve as Burnley’s defence was breached with the first shot on target. Stanislas controlled Lewis Cook’s long ball on his chest, shrugged off Stephen Ward and slotted past Tom Heaton. Sean Dyche’s men came close to finding an equaliser.
A slick interchange of passing saw the ball fall to Scott Arfield on the edge of the box but he could only fire wide of Artur Boruc’s post.
Howe’s men started the second half brightly but Lys Mousset failed to get firm contact on t he ball f o l l owing Marc Pugh’s cross.
Burnley went up the other end and went agonisingly close to drawing level with Arfield’s long-range strike inches wide.
At the other end, King could only find the side netting from a tight angle.
And Bournemouth were punished for their missed chances when former Cherries striker Vokes climbed highest to head home Johann Berg Gudmunsson’s cross with seven minutes to go.
But King had the final say moments later, clinching all three points.
Dyche said: “I don’t want to be hyper-critical of the players because they’ve had some really big games lately and to get to that 40-point mark I think was a big sigh of relief.
“The tension was building, so today there was a flatness to the performance, particularly in the second half.”