C PALACE 1 BURNLEY 1 Luka gaffe is Schlupp in the face

9 46 ...BUT PALACE OWN-GOAL A ‘TURNING POINT’ FOR DYCHE

THE Burnley survival bandwagon is rolling once again – and the greatest escape ever may yet be on.

After a battling draw that made it a seven-point week for the Clarets, Sean Dyche was quick to remind their rivals of his side’s traditionally strong finish to the season.

And that will strike fear into the likes of relegation rivals Brentford and Leeds, who are sinking like stones, and have played more games.

There was an element of fortune in this result as the visitors looked there for the taking when Jeffrey Schlupp steered in Michael Olise’s wonderful cross after only nine minutes.

But Burnley survived a tricky first half and then after the break looked back to their stubborn best following recent wins over Brighton and Tottenham.

And though the equaliser was lucky, an own-goal from Palace skipper Luka Milivojevic 43 seconds after half-time, the never-say-die spirit was there for all to see.

Dyche (right) said: “It has been a very big and important few days for us – and that is another point. This is a tough place to come and it is a sevenpoint week so I am pleased.

“Historically, we are strong in the second half of the season and we have shown that again today.

“There was not a lot in it in the first half but they had a bit more edge to their play, maybe we were a bit sluggish.

“However, there was a fantastic reaction from the players in the second half, and the appetite to get us through this spell has been enormous.

“The big journey down yesterday did not help us. I drove down and it took seven hours.

“The players came down on the train but it ended up taking them six hours because their coach through London was held up by all the protests and all that was going on last night.

“It is one loss in seven now. The mentality is firm and there were a lot of good performances after a lot of travelling in the last week, with Brighton as well.”

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira was left defending his decision to start without a recognised striker.

This 12th draw of the campaign saw him leave four forwards on the bench and only bring Jean-Philippe Mateta on after an hour.

Vieira said: “I didn’t change the system – just the profile of the players.

“I wanted to have more mobility and more running in behind to test their back four. And that is how the first goal came.

“If we had won the game 1-0, we would maybe not have the question, ‘Did it work?’.

“You always expect more, and more situations in front of goal – that was the case

in the first half. We weren’t brave enough to pass it forward but I am happy with my decision and with the performance of my team overall, because Burnley made it very difficult.

“It is about not conceding goals first, and then taking chances. Their goal was the only time we were not connected as a back four.

“If you can’t win it, don’t lose it and we got a point.”

The Eagles broke through early. There were just nine minutes on the clock when a sumptuous piece of skill from Olise set up the breakthrough strike.

The playmaker feinted to cut back inside to cross with his left foot. But instead he jinked his way down the line and laid the ball on a plate for Schlupp to steer it home. And 20-year-old France ace Olise continued to give Erik Pieters a torrid afternoon, getting in shots and winning free-kicks.

But the Eagles paid a big price for only scoring the one goal in the first half within moments of the restart.

Connor Roberts found Jay Rodriguez in the area, and from his glancing header Aaron Lennon’s cross was diverted into his own net by the unlucky Milivojevic.

Burnley’s new hero Wout Weghorst had the ball in the net when Jack Butland saved from Rodriguez – but the flag went up for offside.

And substitute Mateta was slow to react in the six-yard box when Conor Gallagher whipped in a great ball after 85 minutes.