Dyche blasts ref for giving Bournemouth lifeline

Sean Dyche questioned referee Martin Atkinson’s timekeeping after Bournemouth scored deep into first-half injury time during Burnley’s 3-2 win at Turf Moor.

A superb strike from Jeff Hendrick and a close-range effort from Stephen Ward put Burnley in command inside 16 minutes, but Atkinson allowed more than the allotted minimum of two minutes injury time at the end of the first half, during which Benik Afobe pulled one back for the Cherries.

The goal failed to prompt another turnaround from Bournemouth, who came back from 3-1 down to beat Liverpool 4-3 in their previous game, and George Boyd added a third for Burnley before Charlie Daniels’ late consolation.

Dyche was nevertheless incensed after the game and he told BBC Sport: “Let’s not talk too much about the timekeeping, we could debate that all day, but sometimes I don’t know where they get the timing from.

“We’ve had it happen before where the referee seems to just let the time play out as if to give them a chance and lo-and-behold the ball ends up in our net.

“We can only hope it pays us back, but it hasn’t so far.”

Dyche praised substitutes Andre Gray and Ashley Barnes, whose introduction seemed to swing the balance of play back in the hosts’ favour, with the former providing the assist for Boyd’s goal.

“I am super pleased with my subs,” said Dyche. “I don’t usually say something like that, but they came on and changed the game and I thought they were outstanding. It’s hard to kill teams off in the Premier League.

“I am very pleased. We are still learning as a side and we can definitely play better, but the mentality was brilliant from my players.”

Dyche’s opposite number Eddie Howe reflected on his side’s late push for an equalising goal, telling BBC Radio Solent: “If we’d have scored the second goal earlier it could have been different.

“The goals conceded are a concern for me. We needed four to win last week and we would have needed four again to win this week and we can’t keep doing that.”

Howe explained the decision to leave influential midfielder Jack Wilshere on the bench until the 59th minute, adding: “Our sports science team and medical team discussed it and we decided he would have to miss one game of the three we had coming up, so it was a case of choosing the game.”