Burnley boss Sean Dyche hails Matt Lowton after wonder goal at Crystal Palace

Lowton, who last month signed a new contract to keep him at Turf Moor until the end of the 2022/22 season, backed up a man of the match display in his last outing against Brighton with another standout performance at Crystal Palace, where he netted the third in a 3-0 win - a true goal of the season contender.

The former Sheffield United and Aston Villa man has started the last 19 Premier League games, and Wyscout statistics last week showed Lowton to be the second most accurate crosser in the top flight this season, only behind Brighton’s Pascal Gross, with Ashley Westwood third and Dwight McNeil sixth.

At Palace, he was at the centre of much of Burnley’s bright attacking play, while also diligent in his defensive work, and he was equal best in terms of key passes, and in possession gained, top in touches, duels won, clearances and interceptions - one of which led to his brilliant goal.

Dyche said: “He steps in, controls the ball fantastically well, plays a lovely one-two, and the finish is sublime...

“I’vm enjoying his performances and I think he is.

”We’re very pleased he signed a new contract, he and his family were - sometimes that settles you down and allows you that freedom to carry on performing, but he’s on a real good run at the moment.

“He’s a very good player.

“I speak to him a lot about that, and bringing it to a performance level is the key.

”He slowly but surely continues to rise in that department, how he’s attempting to play and taking on performances.”

While Lowton’s performances are getting better and better, Dyche feels the team’s are, in line with statistics that show the Clarets usually finish the season stronger.

He made eight changes from the 2-0 FA Cup defeat at the hands of Bournemouth, and felt his decision to field the side he did in the cup was ultimately vindicated: “I was really pleased with the tempo - tempo in football is a strange thing, we actually spoke to the players quite a lot before the game, some of the players had a rest in the week - I felt it was important they got that, I felt it would add to their performance physically, so I was very pleased because you get questioned if it doesn’t go right.

“I thought the energy of the side was excellent. It normally is, I’ve said many times, the second half of the season, I’m not always talking about results - in the Premier League it is very difficult - but the energy levels and commitment physically has always been there, and we often get stronger as seasons go on.

“I’ve got all the stats and facts and we often do.

“It’s pleasing from that side of things, but also on your eye, the body language of the side, very good, very pleasing.

“Add in the quality and there was some good quality to our play, we mixed the game to be effective, scored from a set piece, from good play early on, and good play from Matt Lowton.

“Credit to Palace, we went 2-0 up and they had a real strong spell the last 10/15 minutes of the first half, and we had to defend wisely and well.

“They didn’t really open us up but they were threatening to.

“Second half we started well and got another goal and I was really pleased with how we managed the game.

“At the end they’re chasing it and throwing bodies in the box and we still defended it well, even after losing Ben (Mee).

“And Dwight McNeil, out of possession, working so hard for the team.

“These are all factors of a real team performance so I was super pleased with all of that and every player out there.”