Burnley boss Sean Dyche - "I think we deserved something from the game overall"

Sean Dyche felt his side deserved at least a point from their 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton.
Sean DycheSean Dyche
Sean Dyche

After losing their opening Premier League game 4-2 at Leicester City, Burnley went down to a fifth-minute goal from former Claret Danny Ings - the visitors' only effort on target.

However, while the Clarets huffed and puffed, they could have had a first half penalty for a push on Chris Wood by Jan Bednarek, before Wood had a goal ruled out in strange circumstances in the second half.

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Dyche said: "I think we deserved something from the game overall, a tight-feeling game, not many chances for either side.

"They got a soft goal from our point of view, a bit of a lucky break where Jimmy gets a block on it, it hits Ingsy and goes in, but that's the kind of form Ingsy is in at the minute.

"Second half we were really strong, but equally didn't find those real moments.

"We didn't get on the right side of the margins."

Asked about the penalty shout, Dyche mused: "At the end of the day, it would have been a soft penalty, but we've seen how soft penalties are given in the Premier League.

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"I think the honesty of our players to try and do the right thing...he's trying to stay on his feet, to receive the ball in the box, he gets a push in the back and goes down.

"We all know players get less of a push and go down in a more lively manner and get penalties.

"My frustration is as much with the game, and our record with penalties is certainly the lowest in the Premier League, and probably among the lowest in football."

Wood thought he had equalised when he latched onto an underhit back pass from Ryan Bertrand and beat Alex McCarthy, but the whistle went before he put the ball in the net, after the assistant referee raised his flag - despite being told to keep them down when potential offsides decision are tight.

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Dyche explained: "Michael Oliver (fourth official) just said he shouldn't have blown up. That was it.

"It's not that acceptable when you think that we've been specifically told to make sure your players play through every moment, so we did, scored a goal, and, lo and behold, the linesman flags, he blows up, gives offside.

"I don't know whether he was offside or not, it's a close one.

"But there was a loose elbow that I thought nowadays gets you in trouble.

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"There were a few incidents where possibly the linesmen and referee are getting their eyes sharper after coming back.

"I don't want to make the game about that, but two decisions could have gone the other way, and they are the margins sometimes."

Dyche handed a debut to Dale Stephens, his first outfield signing of the transfer window so far, and he said of his display: "I thought second half he got stronger, first half it looked a bit quick for him and he looked like he was getting his eye in and getting his body going.

"He knows about the Premier League but he hasn't trained much in the last few days while this has been going on.

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"I threw him in slightly out of necessity, he is a good player but ideally we normally hold players back and give them a week of training with us and a feel for what we do.

"So I had to ask him to do a shift tonight and he did that.

"Second half I thought it was a good performance and he will get stronger and fitter."