BARNES: REFS & FANS THINK BURNLEY ARE TOO UGLY FOR PREM

ASHLEY BARNES claims referees and fans would rather see “ugly” Burnley out of the Premier League.

The Clarets striker (left) believes the team’s hard-nosed style sees decisions go against them. A controversial handball was awarded against Barnes by referee Kevin Friend after a VAR review at Tottenham last Sunday. It led to Harry Kane scoring from the spot to send Burnley to a 1-0 defeat.

And Barnes says when Lucas Digne handled in a similar incident in the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Thursday, referee Paul Tierney was not advised by VAR to check on the pitchside monitor.

Ahead of tomorrow’s vital final-day home clash with Newcastle, Barnes said: “They look at us and think we are some kind of hard team who play ugly.

“People, even referees, want to see us gone out of the League. It is another issue we have to overcome. Spurs had played on, they actually missed a great opportunity after the ‘handball’, and everyone goes to set up for a goal-kick.

“Then there is VAR and it is like, ‘What?’. The referee is smiling as he was coming on and no one could speak to him.

“At Villa it was clearer than mine but you couldn’t speak to the referee. We were saying, ‘Go and check the screen then – it is there for a reason!’

“There just needs to be some consistency. I’m not sure anyone actually knows the rules of handball - if it hits you or doesn’t. People aim for your arm. It is just stupid.”

Barnes, 32, reckons another example of Burnley being on the wrong end of decisions was

Villa’s equaliser on Thursday.

“When he took the throw-in that led to their goal, his foot was on the pitch. These decisions are vital,” said Barnes.

The Clarets had Matt Lowton red-carded late in the Villa game but Barnes accepts he got lucky when he escaped without punishment for an ‘elbow’ into the face of Tyrone Mings.

Villa boss Steve Gerrard said he deserved a red card and Barnes said: “It was just me going to challenge for the ball and obviously my eyes are clearly on the ball.

“After seeing it back, yeah, maybe I have caught him but there’s no intention there to do anything. If you watch my eyes, they are clearly on the ball.

“I did catch him a little bit but we did play on and there was no decision to be made on that.”

Burnley must match Leeds’ result at Brentford to stay up on a superior goal difference and Barnes added: “It will be a huge achievement from where we were.

“To win only three in 20-odd games is not good enough. But the lads have turned it round and hopefully we’ll get the job done.”