Burnley boss Dyche rues ‘lucky break’

The Clarets took a deserved lead with 15 minutes remaining when substitute Junior Stanislas slammed home from 25 yards.

But as the supporters dreamed of finally putting one over on the old enemy, Scott Arfield’s back pass was intercepted by Jordan Rhodes, and Michael Duff’s attempted clearance flew off the Scot’s shin and looped in over a stranded Tom Heaton.

Dyche said: “It’s not a great decision from Scott but to be fair but the way it’s gone in is truly incredible. It could bounce anywhere. It happens to spin over your goalkeeper.

“It wasn’t the best pass from Scotty, but I thought he delivered another good performance.

“Jordan Rhodes, we know what he is, he’s a predator. He doesn’t join in a lot during a game and I think last year when he scored here the ProZone stats said he only had four touches and scored a goal.

“We know what he’s like.

“He did move early, he’s read it, he’s looking to see if he can get in. But the final moment is just pure fluke, chance. It sometimes happens.”

Overall Dyche was pleased with his players’ performance though: “I thought we were very good in the first half, I thought we played a real nice mix with a real nice solid shape, some really good football, some really fluid play and created chances. You go in knowing that half-time, I don’t think it radically changed as regards them creating chances, but they changed their style and went a bit more direct, changed it into a derby feel – a bit more scrappy, a bit more knockdown sort of football.

“But I was pleased with the players for that period because it’s important you don’t let that affect the outcome of the game, which we didn’t.

“We think we’ve got quality, we think we’ve got people who can score a goal, Junior came on and delivered that, that’s for sure, with a fantastic goal.

“It was a goal certainly worth of winning but sometimes things go against you and a very lucky break for them gets them out of jail at the end.”

That lucky break wasn’t the final incident of note, as Danny Ings was crudely denied a clear run on goal by a rugby tackle from Rovers sub Lee Williamson.

Williamson received a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, but a free kick just inside Blackburn’s half was hardly a suitable punishment.

Dyche admitted, however: “It’s the professional side of the game.

“If you’re a fan you don’t ideally want to see that because our lad’s going through to score a goal, or you presuppose he’s going to score a goal. But it is the professional side of the game.

“Players have to make decisions, and that late in the game I would suggest it’s a good decision from their part because there’s such a short time. You might nick a set piece or something still.

“Obviously if he did that in the 30th minute on the other hand as a manager you’re going ‘what are you doing, you’ve got 60 minutes to stay in the game and have a chance to change it’.

“From their point of view I’m sure they’d look at it as a good decision to bring Ingsy down.

“I wouldn’t say I’d say ‘well done’ but I’d understand the professional side of it, it’s fair to say.”

Asked if the rule needs looking at, he added: “I don’t know what they’ll do because he’ll be banned.

“It’s for other people to start debating.

“It is what it is at the moment, we can only challenge and change so much.”

Burnley could have gone top for a matter of hours with a win, but ended the day fifth as their fine start continues, and Dyche said: “Overall – not so much the feeling of today because I know what it means to the fans – but I think Burnley fans and people will be pleased with what’s going on at the moment and that’s important to remember.

“We want to allow the players to express themselves.

“My way of working is to give them a framework that they have to understand because the way to win a game is making sure the opposition can’t win it before you win it.

“But from that framework we want them to have that freedom, we want them to have that fluid feel and I thought there were good signs of that again today. There has been ever since pre-season.

“Today was another moment of that.”