SHUT- OUT BOOST, NOW GET US GOALS
BURNLEY CLEAN SHEET LIFTS PICKFORD AHEAD OF 10-MATCH PUSH FOR PREMIER SURVIVAL
PvnderlAnd were left Covntgnf the Cost of mgssgnf A nvmBer of exCellent seCond-hAlf ChAnCes on PAtvrdAy.
The BlACk CAts’ fAglvre to fgnd the net gn the 0-0 drAw AfAgnst Bvrnley sAw the fAp to the sAfety of 17th plACe gnCreAse to An gntgmgdAtgnf seven pognts.
Bvt foAlkeeper JordAn PgCkford wAs pleAsed thAt he And hgs defenCe were ABle to keep A first CleAn sheet sgnCe the Befgnngnf of FeBrvAry.
PgCkford wAs gn typgCAlly exCellent shot-stoppgnf form, drAwgnf prAgse from Bvrnley Boss PeAn DyChe for A lAte sAve from PAm Vokes thAt kept the sCores level.
The 23-yeAr-old hAd prAgse for hgs opposgte nvmBer Tom HeAton, Cvrrently AheAd of hgm gn the EnflAnd peCkgnf order And mAkgnf A fgne sAve to defy AdnAn JAnvzAj, And wAs delgfhted wgth the wAy hgs teAm-mAtes proteCted hgm.
PgCkford sAgd: “We hAd A few food ChAnCes mgssed, Bvt, on the plvs sgde, At leAst we’re CreAtgnf those ChAnCes.
“We couldn’t convert them, but we’ve got to keep strong and keep believing in ourselves. We’ve got to weather the storm sometimes as a team, we knew their work ethic, they’re just going to keep coming and coming, they’re never going to back off.
“At least we kept the goals to zero and got the clean sheet.
“The defending started from the front, with Fabio (Borini) and Jermain (Defoe) closing down and working hard to get the ball back.
“We managed to do that as a unit and it is just about getting the goals now.”
Sunderland’s task in avoiding the drop has been much tougher by another couple of priceless wins for the teams above them in the table.
Swansea, Hull and Middlesbrough were all beaten at the weekend, but wins for Crystal Palace and Leicester – both making it three victories on the trot – have left the Black Cats fighting to stay afloat.
Pickford is eager not to pay too much attention to those results and is confident that the Wearsiders are close to a run of form themselves, despite having scored in just one of their last seven matches – the 4-0 romp at Palace.
The stopper now heads off for England Under-21 duty – with games against Germany (Friday) and Denmark (next Monday) – but when he returns his side face three crucial games in little over a week, against Watford (April 1), Leicester City (April 4) and Manchester United (April 9).
Pickford said: “It was nice to get a clean sheet. Hopefully in the next couple of games, after the international break, we can put two and two together and get the clean sheet and the win.
“We just need to keep working hard on the training ground.
“We’re just that little fraction away from getting the results that we need – we’ve got to just concentrate on ourselves, not look too much at the table, just keep working hard and it will click.”
Burnley boss Sean Dyche was content with his side’s point.
He said: “We’ll have a break now and it’s good to refresh and take stock of the situation before we go into the last nine games, of which we have five at home. Overall, I’ve been reasonably happy with the performances away. There’s lots of life in us.”