Dyche dishes out the praise
BURNLEY moved into the automatic promotion places in the Championship and Sean Dyche was left purring by his side’s ability to win in different ways.
Goals from Sam Vokes and Scott Arfield were enough to see the Clarets ease past relegation-haunted Rotherham and extend their unbeaten stretch to nine games.
They are timing their run nicely and moved into second position after Hull and Middlesbrough did not play in the league due to the FA Cup.
Although most people would have had a home win in their coupon, it was far from a classic display from Dyche’s men, but they still had a number of chances to have won by an even bigger margin.
But the Burnley boss was just relieved to get the three points and admitted he did not care how it was done.
“It was hard work,” Dyche said. “Neil Warnock being Neil has got a new group and has got a bit of fervour to them.
“They came here I imagine with no expectation and tried to play on that.
“They broke the game up and it was a disjointed game. But as ever I like the fact that we can win games in different ways.
“We have won it outrightly with the chances with have made, we have deserved victory.
“Overall I am really pleased. It was a big win, I have said it many times sometimes the hardest fight to win is the one you are expected to and we have taken care of it well.
“I have spoken a lot about the progress the team has made.
“The team is still moulding but my main thing is learning different ways to win a game and that was what happened here. I am very pleased we can find different ways of winning.”
Burnley were in the ascendency from the early stages and a long spell of pressure was rewarded with the opening goal after 27 minutes as Vokes slotted home from the spot after Lloyd Doyley had tripped George Boyd.
A string of other chances came and went and they almost paid the price as the Millers – who had been largely ineffective as an attacking threat – had a golden chance to level with ten minutes remaining.
But Joe Newell inexplicably put his shot wide when he only had Tom Heaton to beat.
Arfield’s strike with four minutes left then killed the game off for Burnley, and Millers boss Warnock was left ruing Newell’s glaring miss.
“You are not going to get too many chances in the game like that, ”Warnock said.
“I felt second half we were a lot more positive.
“Joe is disappointed because he could have just side-footed it in, he rushed it a little bit.
“It would have been a nervous end to the game, but it’s not to be. Their lad Andre Gray would have just stroked it in really.”
The Millers remain five points from safety as they sit 22nd in the table.
And Warnock – hired last week after answering an SOS call to keep Rotherham up following the sacking of Neil Redfearn – remains positive.
“I am really happy, you can’t be too down, ”Warnock added. “You don’t play Burnley every week.
“We have got some tough games but teams that we will play against will have some tough games.
“We are all really looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead.”