‘It was a very good away performance’ Burnley boss Sean Dyche

Burmley made it 15 league games without defeat as they maintained their 10-point cushion from Derby and QPR in style with a first goal for the club from Ashley Barnes, Sam Vokes’ 20th of the season and a cross-shot from Michael Kightly that went in off Johnnie Jackson.

Dyche said: “It was a very good away performance on what is definitely the worst football pitch I’ve seen in many years.

“I’ve played on some horrors in my time, but I’ve never witnessed anything like that at this level.

“We’d seen a couple of their previous games and they’d watered it, and at least the ball was travelling, but there wasn’t as much on it so it was bobbling everywhere.

“I thought the players adapted to it fantastically well and played common sense football, utilise passing football in the top third of the pitch when they could.

“We know we have quality in that area of the pitch, and I thought overall they delivered a performance it needed on that pitch.

“They’ve just come off the back of two draws and a win, they’re obviously at home and have a good feel good factor. I thought they started really brightly, but once we got a foothold in the game and adapt to the circumstances, we looked good value, played some productive football and scored goals.”

Barnes got off the mark, heading in a cross from Junior Stanislas just before the break, and Dyche added: “Delighted for Ash, he’s worked ever so hard, and he’s new to the group, we have ways of working that he’s adapting to, but it was a superb ball in, and he’s in the right area.

“The keeper made an unbelievable save to stop Ash getting his second.”

Chris Baird looked another astute signing on his debut, after agreeing a deal to the end of the season on Thursday, and Dyche was pleased with his old Watford teammate: “His game intelligence is where it’s at, you don’t play in the top division in a number of positions for that long without that.

“He has that, and is unflappable, nice and secure and solid, good positioning, tough as you like, and delivered a very balanced performance.”

Baird came in for Keiran Trippier, who had a tight hamstring, and, asked how long he could be out for, Dyche admitted: “We’re not really sure, it’s a minor one, but we have to be careful with hamstrings. We’ll see what happens over the days because it’s settled already.”

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