GALE FORC BLOWS SAI Clarets start in style as Ashley

DENIED by VAR, a Burnley gale set Ashley Barnes on the path to a quick- fire double against sorry Southampton.

Earlier, the Burnley striker was left raging when he was ruled marginally offside as he set up Chris Wood for a close-range finish only for today’s modern technology to intervene.

But in the 63rd minute the snarl turned into a wide smile as he opened this season’s account with a little help from the adverse elements which enveloped Turf Moor.

New boy Erik Pieters’ cross into the swirling wind completely bemused Jannik Vestergaard, who tumbled onto his backside allowing Barnes to move into the box and finish crisply past Angus Gunn.

Six minutes later a more conventional cross from the impressive Pieters saw Barnes, who pestered the life out of the creaking Southampton defence all afternoon, race into the area and volley into the corner of the net.

Great timing for a grime artist who has just released a rap about the Burnley striker.

Great timing for music loving boss Sean Dyche who admitted: “Until we scored it was a tight game and you can’t guarantee it ends up like that today.

“The conditions were tough out there. The ball was going all over the place. For his first goal Ash judged the flight of the ball well and his touch and finish were excellent. The second goal was really good as well.

“He is a very effective striker. He certainly doesn’t go under the radar here. As for the record about him, as you know I’m big on grime!”

Just to complete Saints’ misery, Johann Berg Gudmundsson t ook advantage of a Barnes flick, evading a challenge from Nathan Redmond and finishing brilliantly from a tight angle.

In just 12 minutes any early promise from Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side was washed away.

Forgotten England keeper Nick Pope, in his first Premier League game