'Unjust': Lyle Foster on Burnley's cruel defeat to Man Utd and his offside 'goal'
“Unjust” is how Lyle Foster described Burnley’s defeat to Manchester United as well as his controversially disallowed goal.
A stoppage-time penalty from Bruno Fernandes saw Burnley suffer a cruel last-gasp defeat at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Having fought back not once, but twice during the second-half, it looked as though Scott Parker’s men were going to continue their positive start to the season with a hard-earned point.
But that all changed right at the death.
“We’re disappointed,” Foster told Burnley’s YouTube channel. “I feel like we did really well and for the game to end the way it ended, it breaks our hearts.
“I feel like we deserved something from the game and for it to end in that way was a bit unjust.
“But it is what it is. It’s unfortunate, but we played really well and I think we can be proud moving forward.”
There was a big contrast between the two halves, with Burnley struggling to gain a foothold during the opening 45 minutes before showing great resilience in the second.
“In the first-half we were a bit taken aback by the way they came. I don’t think we expected them to come the way they did,” Foster added.
“We didn’t have our footing, we were a bit lost in a sense, but we came in at half-time and the gaffer changed a few things and it was just a different mindset going back out there.
“We tried to gain territory in the second-half and we played really well, we stretched them at the back and we were able to create some good chances. It was a good game for people watching.”
After scoring just twice in the Championship last season, and finding himself behind Zian Flemming in the pecking order, not many were expecting the South African to start the season as Burnley’s first-choice striker.
But the 26-year-old has been in inspired form leading the line, with the only thing lacking being a goal – having had one harshly ruled out against Sunderland last week.
But Foster got up and running for the season with a well-taken close-range finish for Burnley’s first equaliser at Old Trafford, only to have a second controversially disallowed.
After rounding the keeper and slotting home, the linesman’s flag was soon raised – with VAR showing he was barely offside.
Opening up on scoring at Old Trafford, Foster said: “It’s obviously a dream for me growing up having watched this my whole life. Being at Old Trafford and scoring here is probably something I dreamt of. I never thought it would come to realisation. I just have to thank God for this beautiful moment.
“But at the same time, I don’t want to say I was robbed of a second goal, I just don’t understand it. I feel as though it was unjust.
“When you’re in the game you don’t really have time to think about those things, but you can reflect afterwards and I’m just really grateful to have scored here.
“It just stings so much to walk away with nothing because of the performance of the team.”
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