BURNLEY 1
DYCHE RUES DROPPED POINTS IN WEEK FROM HELL
THE week for Sean Dyche had begun in excruciating pain and ended in more agony as Burnley’s winless run was extended to 11 games.
A ruptured thigh muscle on a warm weather training trip in Portugal had left the Turf Moor boss reaching for the ibuprofen.
A controversial 90th minute Saints equaliser from substitute Manolo Gabbiadini saw him suffer a sudden relapse.
But for his Southampton counterpart Mauricio Pellegrino it was the perfect pick me up – and a priceless point which took them out of the bottom three.
Until Gabbiadini’s late strike it appeared that Ashley Barnes had done enough to end a frustrating two-month Burnley spell without a victory.
But referee Bobby Madley accidently set up the critical Saints counter-attack when a Barnes ball meant for Ashley Westwood struck him.
And to rub salt in the wound Burnley players claimed that defender Kevin Long was tugged out of the way as Gabbiadini spun on a headed knockback from Guido Carrillo to fire past Nick Pope. Dyche said: “It was another interesting afternoon, let’s say.
“Without being brilliant I thought we were solid but you can only control the controllables and things out of our control went against us.
“The fans want an even contest and to see it delivered.
“Apart from Nick Pope making a fantastic save we had done enough to win.
“Kevin Long was pulled back by the shirt when there wasn’t a lot in it to be honest, but everyone gets a free-kick from them.”
Just a few minutes earlier Pope had made a brilliant save from another Saints substitute Josh Sims, tipping the fierce drive against the post.
Pellegrino’s substitutions woke up the slumbering Saints who until then seemed resigned to another frustrating day in a sub-standard season.
Pellegrino admitted: “It was a very tight game. They try to put their opponents under pressure with the direct ball. But it was a fair result. I thought the substitutions helped make a difference.”
Burnley had made the breakthrough on 67 minutes, the lively Johann Berg Gudmundsson forcing a save from Alex McCarthy. Jeff Hendrick headed the rebound goalwards for Barnes to apply the vital final touch.
A minute later McCarthy was thankful that there was no VAR as most people apart from the officials were aware that he had handled outside his area in halting Aaron Lennon.
At least Dyche can survey his club’s worst run of the season from a creditable seventh place while the problems are not over for Pellegrino.
Despite an initial delight in salvaging a late point it’s now just one victory in the last 16 Premier League games.
His job must still be in some danger considering the Saints dispensed with Claude Puel despite finishing in eighth spot and reaching the League Cup final.
It wasn’t a game which will live long in the memory although for watching England boss Gareth Southgate it was a chance to run the rule over a number of World Cup hopefuls.
Burnley’s Jack Cork, uncapped keeper Pope and central defender Ben Mee, along with Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand, Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse were of special concern.