Pointless in South Wales.
Burnley's visit to Hull last week to play against opposition the Clarets have enjoyed a recent sizable measure of success, then yesterday’s trip to Swansea to face opponents who are and continue to be the polar opposite of the bountiful Tigers.
In recent matches against the “Swans”, Burnley have a terrible head to head record, a continuing sequence which yesterday did nothing to alleviate.
For the fourth time this season, the Clarets have surrendered points in stoppage time, a statistic for which no obvious causal link presents itself. In all probability, it's simply a combination of part misfortune, part fatigue and partly inadequate time-keeping on the part of the officials.
“Fergie time”, it seems, is not “Dyche time”. Given those factors of history, tradition and the elasticity of time, Burnley could have little expectation of emerging from South Wales with a positive result.
Much less so when the home team performed with the renewed vigour of a side still enjoying the phenomena of " new manager bounce".
In fairness and taking into account the whole passage of the game, it would have been a gross miscarriage of justice had the Clarets been allowed to slip away with an unjustifiably nicked point.
More unjust still, as the “Hand of Sam” once again presented itself to Burnley’s benefit. Sam Vokes’ handball went undetected in the build up to his winning goal against Leicester, whilst yesterday the appendage in question was deemed to belong to a Swansea player, resulting in Andre Gray’s equalising penalty.
When Gray’s second goal put the Clarets 2-1 up, an against-the-odds win looked to be on the cards, but alas from a Burnley fan's perspective it was not to be.
Gray by all accounts looks to be on the Gareth Southgate England radar, for me he looks to be playing with one eye on a summer move to White Hart Lane, after being constantly courted in the media by the covetous Spurs' manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Almost all Clarets fans will recall Martin Olsson’s flagrant impression of Olympic diver Tom Daly whilst playing for Blackburn at Turf Moor in 2010. Yesterday he came back to haunt Burnley again with a stunning second half Swans' leveller.
The outstanding Fernando Llorente sealed Burnley’s defeat with a late stoppage-time winner following a blatant push on Burnley's Ben Mee. An offence missed by an errant referee who perhaps, was still suffering from the effects of his midweek stag do in Marbella?
All in all, another frustrating away defeat for the Clarets. Next up is a trip to Anfield and a match against Jurgen Klopp's resurgent Liverpool; it is not going to get any easier for Sean Dyche and his brood of travel sick playing staff.
Whether Joey Barton will be occupying his seat on the Clarets' coach bound for Anfield will depend on the punishment the great and the good of the English Football Association disciplinary panel decide to apply.
The Burnley cult hero has already pleaded guilty to the betting violations he has been charged with. I am sure that I speak for all Burnley fans in my wish that justice be tempered with mercy, and any punishment be confined to a substantial fine and not a suspension.
This article was written by long suffering Burnley fan and Clarets Mad contributor, Dave Thornley (TEC).
Source: DSG
