ANDRE’S A GIANT FOR BOSS DYCHE
SEAN Dyche lauded his side’s goalscoring abilities after hot-shot striker Andre Gray fired Burnley to victory over Huddersfield at Turf Moor.
Gray’s seventh goal in Burnley colours came from the spot and handed the Clarets an early lead before he added his eighth just before the break, though Michael Duff put through his own net late on to halve the deficit.
And despite hitting the target twice in 30 minutes, Dyche revealed the club’s record signing is unfazed by the prospect of not seeing every chance go in.
“One of the main qualities he’s got is I don’t think there’s a fear of missing and I love that about centre forwards,” he said. “He’s got that freedom, if he misses I don’t think he’s bothered, I think he waits for the one that he scores and that’s a great mindset to have and I think Sam Vokes has got that now.
“Two very good goals.The first goal comes off an 11 pass move from our keeper all the way through the midfield into the forwards, allowing Andre to get in behind for a penalty of course.
“The second goal was very similar, very good movement, very good passage of play, fine link-up play between Sam Vokes and Gray for a superb strike I felt.”
The hosts won a 12th-minute penalty when Joel Lynch brought down Clarets striker Gray, and the ex-Brentford man picked himself up to coolly slot home.
East Lancashire derby hero Scott Arfield drifted in from the left and smartly found Vokes who unleashed a 21st-minute right-footed curling effort which Jed Steer dealt with comfortably.
Gray gave Lynch problems again on the half-hour after robbing the defender of possession and teed up George Boyd who forced Steer into a low save.
And the lively Gray slotted away his second with ruthless efficiency after running onto Vokes’ 43rd-minute through-ball and firing clinically past Steer.
After the break, from Tom Heaton’s ball, Huddersfield failed to clear their lines and Vokes drove a powerful effort straight at Steer.
From David Jones’ 56th-minute corner, ex-Manchester United trainee Michael Keane lifted a looping header at the backpost just over.
Huddersfield had a golden chance to grab one back 15 minutes before full-time when Jamie Paterson’s lob found substitute Nahki Wells, but the Town striker blasted over with the goal gaping.
Terriers record signing Wells did better moments later when he turned on the edge of the area and drew a decent diving 77th-minute save from Heaton.
As Huddersfield pressed, Emyr Huws collected a loose ball on the edge of the area and fired at Heaton, with the stopper parrying the 82nd-minute effort to safety.
Jones’ 87th-minute corner was met by Keane whose header rebounded off the post as Burnley looked for a third.
But from Town substitute Kyle Dempsey’s low late cross, Clarets skipper Duff put the ball past a helpless Heaton to give Huddersfield late hope.
Town boss Chris Powell said: “Maybe the equaliser came a bit too late but I thought our second half performance was needed after the first half and I got a very good response.
“I’m proud of their response and how they stuck to the task in the second period. Andre Gray showed his class with the second goal, that’s why you pay the money and get a player who did very well last year and it’s a good buy for Sean and for Burnley.
“But my players did what I asked them at half-time and maybe if there was another five minutes, we possibly could have got something from it.”