Andre relishing life back in the frontline

Andre Gray is feeling the benefits of the Clarets operating in a 4-4-2 system in the Premier League.
Burnley's Andre Gray

Photographer Rich Linley/CameraSport

The Premier League - Burnley v Middlesbrough - Monday 26th December 2016 - Turf Moor - Burnley

World Copyright © 2016 CameraSport. All rights reserved. 43 Linden Ave. Countesthorpe. Leicester. England. LE8 5PG - Tel: +44 (0) 116 277 4147 - admin@camerasport.com - www.camerasport.comBurnley's Andre Gray

Photographer Rich Linley/CameraSport

The Premier League - Burnley v Middlesbrough - Monday 26th December 2016 - Turf Moor - Burnley

World Copyright © 2016 CameraSport. All rights reserved. 43 Linden Ave. Countesthorpe. Leicester. England. LE8 5PG - Tel: +44 (0) 116 277 4147 - admin@camerasport.com - www.camerasport.com
Burnley's Andre Gray Photographer Rich Linley/CameraSport The Premier League - Burnley v Middlesbrough - Monday 26th December 2016 - Turf Moor - Burnley World Copyright © 2016 CameraSport. All rights reserved. 43 Linden Ave. Countesthorpe. Leicester. England. LE8 5PG - Tel: +44 (0) 116 277 4147 - [email protected] - www.camerasport.com

The 25-year-old started only his fourth game of the campaign at Turf Moor in the victory over Middlesbrough on Boxing Day where he scored a late winner.

The striker, voted Championship player of the year last term, missed home games against Watford, Arsenal and Everton through suspension and was sacrificed for fixtures against Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Bournemouth as Sean Dyche opted for a loan forward.

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However, Dyche reverted back to two strikers on home soil for the first time since the 1-1 draw against Hull City in September.

Gray was given the nod alongside Ashley Barnes, but combined with substitute Vokes when beating Victor Valdes in the 81st minute.

After scoring his second goal of the season, Gray said: “All strikers want to score goals but I just have to keep putting the work in and getting in the right places to score. I know what I’m doing when I’m playing with Vokesy and Barnesy, I’ve got to gamble a lot. It’s hard sometimes, you gamble and go a yard one side and it goes a yard the other, but you’ve got to keep gambling and something will come.

“They tend to drop in and I can play on the shoulder, it gives us that threat going forward as well, especially when we’re under pressure and we can get balls forward to Barnesy and Vokesy.”

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Ahead of the New Year’s Eve clash with Sunderland, the former Brentford man added: “We want to get that first win away from home, but I’m sure if it stays like this until the end of the season we will stay up.”