Burnley maintain their hex over Hull as Keane volley nabs rare away point
MICHAEL KEANE was the chief protagonist as Burnley doubled their Premier League travel tally and denied Hull the chance to clamber out of the relegation zone.
The Burnley centre-back was involved in both goals at the KCOM Stadium. First, Keane was adjudged, contentiously, to have handled in an aerial challenge with Harry Maguire 18 minutes from time.
Protests to referee Martin Atkinson were ignored, and when Tom Huddlestone stepped up to squeeze his penalty effort out of the grasp of Tom Heaton, it appeared Hull’s rise under new manager Marco Silva was to take a significant step.
However, they were plunged back into the relegation places just a few minutes later when Robbie Brady’s corner evaded the home defence and Keane showed the composure of a centre forward, taking the ball down on his chest and volleying low past Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.
Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager, refused to condemn the referee’s penalty decision: ‘When I’ve watched it back, Keane goes with his head and the motion of Harry Maguire actually pushes his arm on to the ball.
‘Not deliberately, but neither has he thrown his arm to handball it. But how do you define that as a referee in a millisecond? It’s a lot easier on a video screen afterwards.’ Dyche was critical, though, of the decision to book Ashley Barnes for arguing; another caution in injury time saw Barnes sent off.
Burnley had previously taken just one point from a possible 33 in away games this season, but the Clarets have some sort of hex over Hull.
In the 2009-10 season, Burnley went 16 away games without a win before travelling to East Yorkshire and taking three points. Two years ago, they had won one of their first 17 before doubling their tally at Hull. This was the sixth top-flight head-to-head between the clubs, and Burnley have never lost.
‘Am I happy with a point? Of course not,’ said Silva.
‘In tough games like this, when one team plays direct balls, it comes down to individual duels during the game.
‘We scored first, but we need to keep our focus through the whole game.’
Maguire battled through a knee injury to play and the suspension of Sam Clucas and a training injury to onloan Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic also restricted
Hull’s attacking capabilities.
Burnley, still smarting from their FA Cup ousting by non-League Lincoln, were dominant at the start of either half and after the half-time break twice went close to going in front as Andre Gray’s pace stretched the Hull defence.
It took a last-ditch intervention to halt him bursting into the area in the 55th minute, and the danger was not over as Barnes flashed wide from 20 yards.
Ashley Westwood’s ball over the top then saw Gray outstrip Andrea Rannochia, only to shoot wide. In a game of few chances, Kamil Grosicki missed Hull’s two best opportunities before half-time.
First he curled a free-kick over the top and later he volleyed too high after Heaton rushed out in a bid to dispossess Dieumerci Mbokani.