PRIDE & GLOOM!
Clarets no longer in a fog after blasting four past Howe’s boys
BURNLEY’S four-midable goal show lifted the ‘fog’ over Turf Moor in front of England boss Gareth Southgate.
There was a danger that it could have developed into a pea-souper and threatened to extend the Clarets’ bad start to the season.
But thanks to the club’s biggest win in the top flight since 1970, manager Sean Dyche can at last see the light on what was a worrying afternoon for Cherries boss Eddie Howe, who spent 21 months in charge at Burnley.
It was Dyche who confessed in the build-up to the game that “we’re in a fog” following four straight defeats and their exit from the Europa League.
He added: “We had a good chat in the week. I reminded the players of how far we’ve come.
“We’ve been written off many times and so it’s about taking on the challenge and I thought we did that.
“It’s a start. It’s where we want to be, winning games.
“There has been a lot of noise surrounding us.
“Until you get that first win there is a nervousness, you can feel it. That goes away when you win games – the noise goes.
“We will change the story because that’s what we do here.”
A late first-half charge – two goals arriving in the space of three minutes – helped settle the nerves and it was firsts all round for the scorers Matej Vydra and Aaron Lennon.
Czech striker Vydra, a £10million summer capture from Derby County, took advantage of the Cherries’ failure to deal with a Sam Vokes knockdown.
Ashley Westwood saw two efforts blocked and when the loose ball fell to Vydra he stabbed in from close range.
It was his first league goal for the Clarets and his first top-flight strike since April 2014. Not to be outdone, Lennon followed suit with his first Burnley goal.
The winger nipped in on the blindside following a Johann Berg Gudmundsson cross to stab in while Bournemouth’s defence seemed preoccupied with Vokes’ aerial presence. The Cherries – the comeback kings of the Premier League – increased their tempo and looked to launch yet another recovery. mission
They went close through the lively David Brooks and Jefferson Lerma before Burnley substitute Ashley Barnes ended the contest.
When Iceland winger Gudmundson’s volley came back off the post Barnes reacted the quickest to squeeze it past Asmir Begovic.
And he did even better minutes later, finding the corner of the net after more trickery from Lennon.
It was hard on the visitors and Howe said: “I don’t think 4-0 is reflective of the game. There were some really good spells for us.
“It’s a frustration conceding four. We were a bit naive chasing the goals. It’s a game we’ll learn from.
“Last week everyone was waxing lyrical. I didn’t think we were as good as people said against Leicester.
“This week we’ll get the other side of it.”
One of the players under England boss Southgate’s gaze was Bour nemouth striker Callum Wilson.
But Burnley’s Joe Hart reminded him of his international pedigree with a clutch of fine saves, the best one spreading his body to defy Brooks.
Redemption time all round for those of a
Clarets persuasion.