Burnley boss Scott Parker highlights one of the biggest positives from emphatic Sheffield Wednesday win
Scott Parker felt the impact of Burnley’s substitutes was one of the biggest positives from their emphatic win against Sheffield Wednesday.
Two of the five players to come off the bench during Friday night’s 4-0 victory got on the scoresheet, while the other three also caught the eye.
Josh Brownhill doubled Burnley’s lead within 48 seconds of coming on, while Manuel Benson added further gloss to the scoreline with a fourth in the last minute.
Jonjo Shelvey, Jeremy Sarmiento and Lyle Foster also impressed as the Clarets picked up an important three points in their fight for promotion.
Discussing the impact of his changes, Parker said: “That's one of the biggest positives really because I thought every sub that came on had a massive impact. That's probably the strength of this squad.
“Look, the hardest thing for me as a coach is every Saturday I can only physically pick 11 players and I can only pick nine subs. We've got a squad here that sometimes along that way, there's people who are disappointed.
“I've played in the arena many times and it's sometimes difficult. I thought the subs coming on injected something just when we needed probably a little bit more of an impetus.
“Lyle Foster, incredible when he came on. His energy, his enthusiasm. Jez, Benny, obviously two subs both coming on score a goal.
“That’s probably the most powerful moment for me because it probably just highlights the togetherness of a group and also the understanding of where things are when they come on.”
The biggest cheer of the night was saved for Benson, who smashed home a wonder strike on his weaker right foot into the top corner.
It was the 27-year-old’s first goal in a year and nine months, following a troubled period following his 13-goal return during the unforgettable Championship title-winning campaign.
“I think I was pleased with that the most really,” Parker added.
“People tell me that that’s Benny. He comes in off the side and he ends up scoring goals like that and they end up in the top corner. He doesn’t score bad goals.
“He comes in off the side onto his weaker foot and I wasn't expecting it to go into the top corner. But fair play to him, it was brilliant. A great strike.”