Clarets dreaming of Europe

THIS IS what you get when you have a rotating door to the manager’s office – a triumphant return by a former boss.

Sean Dyche, kicked out of the job at Vicarage Road when the Pozzo family took over nearly six years ago and then installed at Burnley a few months later, took a bow in front of the travelling fans as they chanted “We’re all going on a European tour.”

Unless Southampton win the FA Cup, the Europa League is very much within reach for Dyche and his merry wanderers, who clocked up their seventh away win of their remarkable season.

Everything is going Dyche’s way at the moment.

Substitute Sam Vokes scored with his first touch, 22 seconds after coming on when Watford, leading through Roberto Pereyra’s goal, looked in control.

Then skipper Jack Cork headed the winner three minutes later with goalline technology playing a big part.

Dyche, reluctant to publicly admit he shares the dreams of the fans, said: “It started as a joke, but now they are thinking, ‘Hang on, maybe it’s not such a joke’.

“I just think we have got another game at the weekend. That was my mentality as a player.

“You only get measured at the end of the season when that table is sitting there in front of you.

“We are having a good season. My first marker is: Can we be more successful than last season? And we passed that mark some time ago.”

But Cork admitted Europe is in the sights of the players. He said: “We would like to have an eye on that, it’s a shame to waste the good position we are in, it would be good end to a great season. “A lot of the lads haven’t played in Europe so it would be a great experience, great for the fans especially.” This game ticked another box for the Clarets, whose victory was their fourth in a row in the top flight, the first time the club have achieved that for 50 years.

It was the first time they have won away this season from a losing position and gave them their third consecutive away win, the first time a Burnley side had done that since September 1973.

It all looked pretty unlikely when Watford, hunting their first win in a month, deservedly went ahead on the hour mark.

Pereyra’s free-kick was never properly cleared, the ball eventually finding its way back to him and he netted through goalkeeper Nick Pope’s legs.

Dyche could not have expected such a quick turnaround when he sent on Vokes after Ashley Barnes won a freekick on the right, but the striker was unmarked when the ball fell to him and buried his first goal since November.

“I told him that if he didn’t score within 30 seconds he definitely wouldn’t play next week,” joked Dyche.

Three minutes later Burnley were ahead when another free-kick ended with Cork’s header at the start of a mad scramble crossing the line, a decision only given thanks to goal-line technology.

Burnley survived a crazy assault on their goal in the final five minutes.

A disappointed Javi Gracia, the ninth Watford boss since Dyche left, said: “We dominated for most of the game, had more possession, more shots on target, 10 corners to one, but it wasn’t enough.

“We should have killed the game and we didn’t.

“They didn’t surprise us, we knew their style of play, we lost in a similar way in the last game from two setpieces. OK, we are not happy today, we’ll try to do better next time.

“I thought we were ready improve in those situations, but they scored twice in three minutes from free-kicks.

“We need to improve. We have conceded too many goals this way, and we are losing points.”