Barnes stormer gets Burnley off the mark at last

ASHLEY BARNES’ powerful second-half header gave Burnley their first Premier League win of the season at the 11th time of asking and sent their happy fans home with perhaps the flicker of belief they may not be doomed after all.

Such is the gulf in resources and quality now in the top division that a small, promoted club like Burnley are always likely to falter. They did so last time they competed at this level in 2010.

Quite possibly, they will fail this season, too, despite yesterday’s success. Victory still leaves them bottom of the table. But if effort, team spirit and the pragmatic but positive philosophy of manager Sean Dyche are true markers, they won’t go down without a fight.

‘In the first half I thought we were excellent, some of our play was very good,’ said Dyche, who saw fine performances from Danny Ings, Kieran Trippier and Barnes in particular.

‘We had enough chances to be one if not two goals to the good. It might sound off but I gave the lads a bit of stick at half-time. ‘We know “alright” is not enough, we need to do even better. ‘Then we scored and it was a bit nervy after that, but that’s natural. A marker is laid down, you get your first win and everyone feels better.’ Trippier laid on the goal with what Dyche rightly described as a ‘fantastic cross that led to a great header’. But Dyche insisted he will not get carried away. ‘It is not about one win. It’s great and don’t get me wrong, I’ll enjoy it.

‘But there will be more than one win needed.’

He did agree, however, that these three points are ‘important psychologically’ and will help instil the belief that Burnley ‘can make the impossible possible’. In other words, avoid relegation.

The next few games will give a clearer picture of whether that is possible – against Stoke, Aston Villa, Newcastle and QPR.

‘There are two or even three divisions within this division and we know where ours is,’ said Dyche, acknowledging that survival in itself would be a great achievement. ‘We know the challenges in front of us.’

Steve Bruce, Dyche’s opposing manager yesterday, was brutally frank about his team’s below-par display.

‘It’s very rare in the two-and-ahalf years I’ve been at the club that I can say I feel embarrassed and say sorry to supporters who have travelled in their thousands to see that,’ he said.

‘That I made all three substitutions before 60 minutes shows you (how we needed inspiration).’

After those three changes, defender Curtis Davies went off injured, leaving Hull with 10 men for the last 15 minutes.

‘We were better with 10 men than with 11 and that is a sad indictment of the first hour,’ said Bruce. ‘We were nowhere near the level that we need to be.’

Burnley’s win was especially sweet because they started the day as the only side among the 256 teams in the top 11 divisions of English football without a league win so far this campaign.

The Turf Moor faithful knew it was always likely to be a long, hard season at this level but even on a cold, damp November day, they were in fine voice — with ‘Ginger Mourinho’ shirts out in force in homage to Dyche.

Ings might have put Burnley ahead in the first half but Hull goalkeeper Steve Harper made a brilliant save from his close-range volley.

Hull’s defenders did well to limit Burnley’s chances before the break.

But once the hosts were ahead, they were never in any real danger of losing their hold on the game – or the win that could yet change the course of their season.