Dyche happy with performance, but frustrated by penalty decision

Hendrick had his standing leg taken away by Town keeper Jonas Lossl in the second half, but referee Paul Tierney ignored the appeals.

The Clarets dominated and had enough chances in open play to claim the points, as they extended their advantage over Leicester City in eighth to seven points.

And Dyche said: “The only thing I’ll comment on, and everyone will see it and they’ll all know it’s a penalty, is that the thing we’re frustrated with is we know that a lot of penalties are given for people flailing their arms around everywhere, and he goes down naturally.

“He’s not playing for it, he’s done good feet, goes round the keeper, keeper touches his trailing leg, but he doesn’t shoot his arms out from nowhere.

“I always go back to the playground, you fall as a kid, and land normally, and in the Premier League they don’t seem to, I don’t know where that comes from.

“They land in these weird shapes and everyone says ‘eh?’.

“It’s a definite penalty. That’s the debate for me, it’s more about what the referee is viewing, are they saying that’s a penalty because his arms are flailing everywhere, yet that’s a penalty and it doesn’t get given.

“I think he said to Jeff he thought he’d lost his footing. He did, because the keeper hit his foot.

“It’s a cut and dried one, the referee did a good job today, but just not on that incident.”

Burnley haven’t had a penalty in the league since Everton in April, and Dyche added: “We’ve not had one, it’s statistically nearly impossible. For the times we’ve had shouts, it’s almost an anomaly, but we’ve had some against us. One just the other day when he’s already going down, then gets contacted. There lies the reality of it.

“It’s a big debate, I’m not trying to make out we’re whiter than white, I think we’re the right end of what the market offers in terms of gamesmanship/simulation, I would say.

“I don’t want it out of my team. I didn’t want it as a player and I don’t now.

“I totally understand gamesmanship, that’s totally different, if you clip someone in the box and they go down, that’s your fault.

“We’re on about the ones like today when it’s a clear penalty and it doesn’t get given because he doesn’t throw his arms out. Or ones where there’s minimal contact.”

But it was a third successive away draw, for a side which has only lost twice on the road this season: “It’s very good to get a point away from home, and we have in the last three away games now, we know from last season it’s very tough in the Premier League, and that’s 17 points now, which I’m very pleased with.

“We deserved all three though, we were very dominant first half and dominant in spells in the second half.

“Chance-wise first half we were very good, the obvious penalty that wasn’t given, but overall, it was a very thorough performance that warranted more than we got.

“It’s a case of we didn’t take our chances, but they are fine lines, Steven Defour’s goes past the post by a margin, Johann’s, Scotty’s deft header, Barnesy had a chance, the keeper makes a good save from Nahki Wells, and the obvious debate point on the penalty.

“That’s good on the road. It’s difficult anyway to create good chances, but I was really pleased with the performance.”

Burnley have a cushion from eighth place, and Dyche is delighted with how his players are going along, heading into the New Year: “The main thing we’ve been pleased with is going away in the Premier League is tough, and we’ve come away with a stretched squad with three points from four games, three away and a tough one at home.

“Over the season, we’ve got a really healthy return and you can see why with the team playing like that.

“That’s with a team that’s a bit stretched, but that’s the value of the squad.

“Kevin Long and Bardo were excellent again, Scotty played really well, Barnesy, these people have been waiting and waiting, the professional respect within the group is off the scale.”