Frustration for Dyche as Saints snatch late point

IF European football is the aim for Burnley, then they are going about it in a difficult way. Sean Dyche and his players could do no wrong earlier in the season but they were without a win since December before Ashley Barnes’ goal gave them hope of ending that torrid run.

It was, of course, blown away in controversial circumstances when Southampton substitute Manolo Gabbiadini scored after appearing to drag Kevin Long to the ground before firing past goalkeeper Nick Pope.

Frustration for Dyche, who thought his side had done enough to win. A victory that would have strengthened their position in seventh place, primed to qualify for the Europa League.

‘You can only control the controllables,’ he said. ‘Those things were out of our control today and went against us. I feel for our fans because they just want an even contest.

‘Kevin Long is pulled by his shirt and he goes down. There wasn’t a lot in that by the way but it’s important to reference the whole league when everyone goes down for that and everyone gets a free-kick for that normally, which we didn’t.’

For Mauricio Pellegrino, then, a glimmer of hope. His side out of the bottom three for the second time this year. But he must know that his side have to do better if they are to stop being talked about as relegation candidates.

Burnley took the lead when Aaron Lennon controlled the ball on the left before nipping inside and playing the ball over to Johann Berg Gudmundsson. The Iceland international sent the ball back across the six-yard box to Jeff Hendrick whose effort was helped over the line by Barnes.

Dyche’s men had grafted to get into the lead but it wouldn’t last. Pope pulled off an outstanding save to tip Josh Sims’ effort onto the post but there was nothing he could do about Southampton’s stoppage-time equaliser.

Sims crossed to Guido Carrillo at the back post. He knocked down to Gabbiadini, who after after fending off Long, struck with his left foot to send the ball past Pope. The Burnley players sprinted to referee Bobby Madley but he saw nothing wrong and the goal stood.

A deserved point, according to Pellegrino. He said: ‘I think the game was really tight from the beginning until the end. But in the way we equalise I think it’s a fair result.’