We are so close to winning football matches

Last updated : 22 December 2012 By Tony Scholes

Home boss Lee Clark fielded a more youthful side than expected. He saw them go in front and then grab a point with a late equaliser after two goals in two minutes looked to have turned the game Burnley's way.

"We had seven teenagers in the starting eleven and I thought they were immense and I was very proud," Clark said. "A draw was no less than we deserved to be honest.

"I thought the young players put up a very spirited performance. That's been our best first half at home for many games with lots of spirit and lots of endeavour. There were a couple of situations where Burnley had opportunities in that early part of the game because of that youthful exuberance but we dealt with that and we deservedly took the lead.

"But we switched off for a mad couple of minutes and Burnley scored twice. For the first goal we were too far ahead of the ball at the throw in and we didn't track the runner, and for the second we gave the ball away from our free kick and gave them an opportunity.

"We always knew that they were a fantastic threat from set plays because Ross Wallace has got a fantastic delivery. I don't think two goalkeepers would have stopped that to be honest."

He added: "We want to win and we're desperate to win games but all things considered today and with all the setbacks we're getting that seem to happen by the hour, a draw was a good result.

"We've had to patch up the team bus as I said to the youngsters before the game, if you stake a claim I'm not afraid to leave you in the team, no matter what happens when injuries clear up. If they perform individually and collectively and get the result, they stay there."

Sean Dyche, however, saw his side miss a host of chances, particularly early in the game, when we should have been out of sight.

"Again we can’t believe we haven’t won that game and by the law of averages it has to change when you are as dominant as that," he said after missing out on a win with a goal in the 89th minute.

“It’s the madness of the game and with the run of draws we are on we can’t believe we haven’t got more points on the board, but I have just said to the lads that we now go even harder because we have to earn and force our own luck.

“We are not having the rub of the green, but the signs are clear and the fans, who were tremendous again today, have seen another very thorough performance from a group of very motivated players.

“They are feeling it too and they can’t believe it, but at the end of the day we are so close to winning football matches.”

He added: “In the first 15 minutes there were seven chances and at half time I didn’t lay into them. There was a collective calmness and I just asked them to keep playing and passing and in the end we got our rewards.

“It might even have been 3-1 because the referee apologised to me at the end and said he should have let play go on after a really bad challenge on Kieran Trippier, seconds before Charlie headed in, but at 2-1 we were looking good value for the win and a small error leads to the goal.

“There is a future in those performances though and they have been consistent ones too. Three of the last four games have been very dominant displays and it’s a tough pill to swallow because when you are defensively more sound people say you are not scoring as many goals.

“The real Burnley fans, the team and I all know that’s not the case. We are keeping it reasonably quiet at one end and creating a bag full of chances at the other end.

“That’s the right way to go about it and you can’t even resist the temptation to lick your lips thinking that, at some point, that domination and level of performance is going to be enough to win games. There are very good signs here and we just have to turn those draws into wins, that’s all.”