One and only Rodriguez is Burnley’s shining light

FEW people will have enjoyed this match more than Sean Dyche. The Burnley manager was beaming after this ugly win in the rain, sealed by the only shot on target.

Substitute Jay Rodriguez won it with a late header to move Burnley into the top half of the table.

‘I’m pleased with the result but we can certainly perform better,’ admitted Dyche. ‘It was a very hard game in the sense that the conditions were awful.

‘The game wasn’t much better. We expect more from a performance than we got today but we found a way.’

Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope was completely untroubled all match and it took until the 89th minute for either side to muster an effort on target.

Bournemouth’s keeper Aaron Ramsdale had been impeccable against the visitors’ aerial assault but in the last minute Ashley Westwood’s cross was deftly dealt with by Rodriguez.

This first shot on target was the longest wait for a shot on target in a Premier League game since May, 2009 (90 minutes, Bolton v Sunderland). And the total of five shots in the match is the lowest tally of attempts in a Premier League game since 2003-04, when this data was first recorded.

Dyche said: ‘I’m delighted for Jay. The lads were absolutely buzzing for him and gave him a massive cheer.’

But there was little to cheer for Eddie Howe. After last week’s win at Chelsea, all the buoyancy was lost from the Bournemouth boss who now has a relegation fight on his hands.

‘My biggest disappointment is how we played with the ball, especially in the first half,’ he said. ‘We weren’t fluid, not enough risks were taken and we didn’t create anywhere near enough.’

Asked if his side played into the Burnley’s hands, he added: ‘They are very good at what they do. They’re very strong.’

Before Rodriguez’s winner, the only intrigue surrounded the contentious foul count and when the heavens would open.

Referee Martin Atkinson took a relaxed approach from the off. Ashley Barnes’ high boot on Bournemouth’s Simon Francis went unpunished despite him emerging from the turf with a bandage around his head.

And after Philip Billing grappled with Barnes, seemingly catching the striker with a swinging arm, there was no punishment given either.