He only scores worldies!
Delighted Dyche hails Lowton showstopper
WHAT began as a landmark day for Roy Hodgson ended as one to remember for Burnley and Matt Lowton in particular.
If you do not score often it is worth making it a good one when you do, which is exactly what Lowton did once again to seal this impressive win at Crystal Palace.
It capped an impressive Burnley performance to make Hodgson’s 350th game as a Premier League manager an occasion he will not look back on fondly, despite becoming just the 10th boss to achieve that feat.
Burnley made a fast start at Selhurst Park, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes. And then Lowton applied the gloss with his first goal in more than five years, a spectacular first-time volley that his team-mates could barely believe.
It was just his third Premier League goal of his career and first in the top flight for Burnley but all have been screamers, following two other volleys in his Aston Villa days against Swansea and Stoke.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche said: ‘Matt’s goal was an absolute class goal, not only the finish but the build up to it and that made for a very pleasing day for the players, for myself and the club.
‘It’s not just the finish from Matt. He steps in, controls the ball fantastically, plays a one-two and the finish is sublime without a doubt. He’s a very good player.’
Dyche was being questioned after making eight changes and seeing his Burnley side crash out of the FA Cup against Championship side Bournemouth. But while the decision backfired on Tuesday, it paid off when the cavalry returned against Palace.
Burnley’s opener came after five minutes with Johan Gudmundsson scoring after an Erik Pieters cross that caused Scott Dann and Patrick Van Aanholt to collide in the Palace box, as they attempted to prevent the ball reaching Ashley Barnes.
Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Jay Rodriguez wriggled free of his marker Nathaniel Clyne to head in Dwight McNeil’s teasing corner.
At this point, Burnley did not look like a side who had struggled to score goals as badly as they have, their pre-match tally of 14 making them the league’s lowest scorers. Nor did they look like a side who should be fourth bottom, as they were at kick-off.
They were well-drilled, getting back into their shape quickly, comfortable on the ball, a threat whenever they ventured forward and quick to seize on anything misplaced by Palace. By contrast, the hosts, missing injured talisman
Wilfried Zaha, who they have struggled without, losing 17 of their last 19 games in his absence, were less certain in their general play, possession, passing and defending and only Christian Benteke really troubling Nick Pope twice in the first half.
It was not just Zaha missing though, with eight of his team- mates also sidelined and Hodgson said: ‘Our major problem is the injury situation. We are missing players we think are quite important to the way we play, so the best thing that can happen will be if we can get at least four of five of the players we are missing back so it will make us a stronger team.’
Two minutes into the second half came Lowton’s showstopper. He collected a loose ball on halfway, charged past Luka Milivojevic, barged over Van Aanholt, played the ball inside to Jay Rodriguez and kept his run going, before blasting the striker’s return ball past Vicente Guaita on the volley.
With that, the destination of the three points was confirmed and a late head injury to captain Ben Mee, which saw him taken off on a stretch er, provided a bigger concern than Palace’s pressure.
Dyche later confirmed that Mee’s substitution was not concussion, saying: ‘He’s fine in the dressing room, I’ve had a chat with him.’
Hodgson, meanwhile, whose side suffered a second successive defeat without scoring, added: ‘We lost to a better team, we were clearly beaten. The scoreline tells it all.’