Sean Dyche on defeat to Newcastle, more VAR controversy and Nick Pope injury

However, the Clarets saw a lead turned into defeat for the second game running, as substitute Allan Saint-Maximin came off the bench to inspire Newcastle with an assist and solo goal to hand the Magpies a big three points.

Burnley remain seven points clear of Fulham in 18th, with a game in hand, with Newcastle now a point behind the Clarets.

But Dyche looked at a shot count of 21-10, and 13 corners to three, and pointed at two slack moments at the back as the difference: "I'm not disappointed in the performance because it was very dominant, but disappointed you don’t get anything from the game.

"That's football, you have to turn the key moments in your favour.

"We didn’t get the second goal, that was important, I felt, despite creating enough to get a second.

"And then two relatively soft goals, certainly the first one we don't deal with, we don't get in the line of the shot and make a block, which we normally do.

"The second we get too deep, too early, and that allows the lad to show a bit of talent.

"Disappointed in that, but not the performance overall."

Asked whether Saint-Maximin was the difference, he added: "I think it helped them quite obviously. They had Callum Wilson coming on as well, and we haven't got those type of players fit at the moment.

"That's been a challenge all season, I don't think we've had a fully-fit squad since the season started.

"We are putting on young players trying to blood them, and they are putting on seasoned pros, and very good players.

"That clearly affected the game with two key moments.

"To be honest, I don’t think those two key players affected the rest of the game too much, that's football."

Newcastle felt they should have had a first half penalty, when James Tarkowski cleared the ball from Sean Longstaff, with the visitors pointing to a high foot, which PGMOL explained as: "Tarkowski has played the ball first and then Longstaff has stooped and put his head into that area."

Dyche said: "These decisions are awkward at the best of times.

" VAR is there for good reason but I think it could be used better.

"We saw it last week with Chris Wood, who tries to stay on his feet and doesn't get a clear penalty.

"Today Vyds strikes through a ball, their lad comes through on the top of his foot, and we all know anywhere else on the pitch it gets given.

"It is not an easy thing. The foot high thing has gone too far for me anyway.

"Anyone puts their foot high and it's a foul before it is a foul.

"You don't even have to make contact, so that's gone too far for me, there's a difference between a high foot and a high foot there to block.

"Who knows? There are a lot of things going on in the game. We have to be careful, because that is just a defender trying to block, to stop someone scoring a goal. It's not vicious, not trying to hurt anyone, just trying to defend."

Nick Pope missed the game with a shoulder injury, as Bailey Peacock-Farrell made his home Premier League debut, and Dyche explained: "He went down to make a save at Southampton and it has settled down but we are in risk and reward territory when games come around like this one so in the end it was decided he wasn't quite right. We are hopeful for next week but we will see.

"Bailey came in late yesterday because we gave Popey until yesterday to make a decision and he did fine.

"A lot of the defensive display was good - I don’t think Bailey made a save.

"But it is disappointing when you concede two.

"I didn't think there was a lot wrong defensively, apart from two important moments, one we didn't get a block on, and the second one we are too deep on the transition of play.

"We are in the attacking third, they clear it into midfield, we're already 20 yards back and it allows the space to open up.

"That was a moment we can do better with.

"But overall, when your keeper doesn’t make a save that is pleasing.

"We made their keeper make saves, we certainly created enough.

"It was an odd game, two odd games back to back.

"Details we normally see right, at both ends of the pitch, not quite there, but close, scoring three good goals, so that's good, but just tightening up the details - maybe the break just too our eye away a bit.

"We'll get sharper as we go forward, I'm sure."