MATCH FACTS Hot Rod’s fast work
STRIKER MAKES SURE POSH ARE DONE FOUR
BURNLEY striker Jay Rodriguez topped and tailed his side’s convincing win after heeding Sean Dyche’s orders to come out of the blocks flying.
Rodriguez pounced early on with Erik Pieters and Jeff Hendrick adding their own strikes with only 25 minutes on the clock.
Clarets boss Dyche praised Rodriguez, who hammered in his second shortly after the break.
He said: “I told the side to come out strong from the start and score early, and they did. Rodriguez looked sharp and pounced on his chances to get his rewards.”
Despite his changes, Dyche added: “It was a very professional performance.
They got their mentality right.
“There was a good feel from the off.”
Peterborough’s
eight 2,000 following started off in good heart but, after less than half an hour, it looked all over.
Burnley carved open the Posh defence to let in Rodriguez, who rammed home a gift-wrapped chance, giving keeper Christy Pym no chance.
It came when Icelandic midfielder
Johann Berg Gudmundsson had sent in a troublesome free-kick that Peterborough’s
Mark Beevers could only nod towards Chris Wood.
The Kiwi striker managed to power a header goalwards, which was parried by Pym, only
BURNLEY for Rodriguez to pounce. The keeper could do nothing when Erik Pieters scored his first of the season. The ball was cleared by Rhys Bennett, but only to Pieters, who chested down and hammered a long-range blast past Pym.
Jeff Hendrick put the home side further ahead as he hit a low, hard shot towards goal, but Pym had it covered, only for the ball to deflect in off Beevers.
Posh had something to cheer after a mistake by Matt Lowton.
The Burnley defender headed weakly back towards keeper Joe Hart, who had no chance as Ivan Toney grabbed possession before sliding in.
Substitute Ricky Jade-jones pulled another scrambled goal back but Burnley saw out the game comfortably.
PETERBOROUGH
■ Burnley scored three first-half goals in a game for the first time since August 2017 against Chelsea in the Premier League.