SEAN Dyche revealed he warned his players not to be ‘good old Burnley’ again at half time in the 1-0 victory over Hull.
The Clarets had been comfortably the better side in the first period but went in goalless, just as they had done in the clash with West Ham at Turf Moor three weeks ago.
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On that occasion Burnley started the second half slowly and found themselves 2-0 down within ten minutes of the restart.
That was on the minds of everybody at the break on Saturday, but Dyche told his players to make sure history wasn’t repeated.
“I actually, weirdly, gave them a bit at half time,” revealed the Burnley boss, “because I said this is not a situation where it’s ‘good old Burnley’ again.
“We know that doing alright and doing well is not good enough, you need to do even better, so I was pleased with the way we came out second half, we got the goal.”
After Ashley Barnes had opened the scoring on 50 minutes, the Clarets had to defend strongly to repel any pressure from the visitors, although their task was made easier when Hull went down to 10 men 15 minutes from the end, with Curtis Davies hobbling off with a back injury after Steve Bruce had used up all three substitutes.
“It was a bit nervy (after the goal),” said Dyche, “which you expect, it’s human nature, even with 10 men it’s do you keep it, do you play forward, so decision making went a bit soft by our standards, but a marker is laid down, you get your first win and everybody feels better about themselves.”
It may have been a nervy conclusion as the Clarets held on to secure a first win of the season, but Dyche was pleased with the showing his side put up in the first half, with Danny Ings seeing a shot superbly saved by Steve Harper and another effort drop just wide of the post.
“I thought first half we were excellent,” Dyche added, “some of our play was very good, we had enough chances to be certainly one, if not two to the good. You go in at half time and think is it one of those games again?”
Thanks to Barnes’ header it turned out not to be.
Barnes was handed a start having not even made the bench at the Emirates last weekend, and he scored his first Premier League goal in his second top flight start.
“I made it clear to the players that I value every one of them,” said the Burnley boss, “we can only pick 11, but there’s never an angle, there’s never favourites, it’s people who can be productive for the team, and I felt it was right occasion to play him and I’m pleased he got his goal.”
Talk of when the first win will arrive has now been put to bed, but Dyche is all too aware that one victory counts for nothing unless his side can build on it, starting with Stoke at the Britannia Stadium after the international break.
“It’s not about one win,” he said,” it’s great, I’ll enjoy it, don’t get me wrong, but what I’m suggesting is that there is more than one win needed, we know that.
“The journey takes a lot more than one win, but it is important to get that first win psychologically for the players, belief that we can at least compete and give everything in this division to try and make what everyone is telling me is impossible possible.”
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