Sean Dyche's thoughts on the defeat to Leicester City

The Clarets slipped to a 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester City, courtesy of late goals from substitutes James Maddison and Jamie Vardy, when a point would have been enough to escape the relegation zone.

But, after onlty a fourth home defeat of the season, and second in eight games of a recent run which has given Burnley’s survival hopes a huge lift, Dyche said: "I think we've been right on top of our performance levels, a slightly softer one first half at Palace, but a good second half, and tonight we didn't quite get to the levels we have been.

"We didn't start right, too many backward passes, too many poor decisions with the ball, no lack of energy, just that lack of clarity really in our play. I mentioned it at half-time and I thought we got a stronger second half, without doing as well as we have done.

"I thought it was edging away to a draw to be honest, it was one that got away from us a little bit with our performance level, because they are still a good outfit and putting on very good players.”

The opening goal came after Jay Rodriguez was beaten to a ball forward by Kasper Schmeichel, and despite three off-side Leicester players, Vardy held the ball up for Maddison to measure a curler into the corner.

Vardy then headed a second from a Harvey Barnes cross, and Dyche added: "Yeah, really disappointed with the goals, Vardy has made his whole career out of going on maybes, but we're relying on an off-side, and nowadays you don't need to, because it can be called back anyway.

"We just had that split second where we don't react as quick, and end up recovering too deep, and a good finish from their lad.”

It was a fourth game in 10 days, with trips to Brighton and Crystal Palace thrown in, and Dyche admitted: “It is a tough ask, but it's the reality and the players know that, a lot of travelling has been difficult for the players as well, but I don't think there was a lack of effort, it was a lack of clarity, a lack of decision-making with the ball, and the details we've been doing so well lately.

"We've just come off that and got punished.”

Captain Ben Mee came off with a knee problem before half-time: "I haven't found out yet, but it's on the outside of his knee, a bang on it, hopefully a bang more than a twist, we'll find out when it settles.”

Dyche had made three changes, one enforced, with Charlie Taylor coming in for the injured Erik Pieters, while Ashley Westwood and Maxwel Cornet replaced Jack Cork and Rodriguez: "Chas has done well because he's hardly played, he's been training for a bit, he stuck at it well, we just thought a bit of freshness in there..Corky has done ever so well, we asked a lot of him, we wondered if Maxwel could give us a bit of a spark, a quiet one for him, but Jay has been terrific for us, working so hard.”