BURNLEY showed the first signs of a Europa League hangover as their encouraging start to the season stalled at Turf Moor.

After 120 minutes on Thursday night the Clarets started both halves against Watford slowly and were punished ruthlessly by a Hornets side who hadn’t scored away from home since January 2.

It was an unusually slack defensive performance from Burnley and the European exertions against Istanbul Basaksehir can’t be blamed for that, given Matt Lowton, James Tarkowski and Ben Mee were all returning to the side, with Sean Dyche reversing the six changes he had made on Thursday night.

But the usual understanding between the first choice foursome at the back was missing and although Burnley responded immediately to Andre Gray’s early goal, they couldn’t find a way back into the game when Watford scored twice right at the start of the second half.

The European campaign also takes time away from Dyche being able to work on the training ground ahead of a weekend Premier League game and Burnley didn’t look as secure as they normally do here.

It’s difficult to say how much the extra-time Europa League win had taken out of the legs of those who featured, but the energy fizzled out of what had been a good first half performance.

here had been a smattering of boos from Gray when his name was read out and he looked keen to silence the critics. Within two minutes Stephen Ward had made a fine block to deny him, but there was no stopping his volley to open the scoring.

The former Claret flicked a pass wide to Troy Deeney and then made his way into the area to convert the drilled cross from 12 yards.

The advantage didn’t last long though. Lowton’s teasing cross won a corner and from Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s delivery Tarkowski headed home his first goal for the club.

Conceding early had sparked the Clarets into life after their late finish in the Europa League.

Gudmundsson forced Ben Foster to claw away his 25-yard free-kick before Jack Cork’s shot from the edge of the area was blocked, the ball falling kindly to Jeff Hendrick but he couldn’t get it out of his feet to get a shot away.

Watford still looked a threat on the break and Deeney’s low drive from 25 yards forced Joe Hart into a one-handed save, but Foster was the busier goalkeeper in the first half.

Ward’s pass found Hendrick in space in the box but Foster was equal to his flicked shot, with Ashley Westwood firing the rebound wide from the edge of the area.

Having scored right of the start of the first half Watford again caught the Clarets cold early in the second period. Deeney’s shot from 25 yards was blocked but when the rebound fell to Abdoulaye Doucoure who slid a fine pass into the advancing Deeney’s path, taking him beyond the back four and he slipped a shot past Hart from close range.

It was three moments later. Lowton’s pass infield gifted possession to Will Hughes, who broke forward into space and drove home a fierce shot from 22 yards.

Dyche looked to his bench for a comeback, introducing Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes midway through the half and Vokes headed Lowton’s free-kick inches wide with his first touch, but there would be no response.

The display at Southampton a week ago, less than 72 hours after a draw in Istanbul, suggested the Clarets had the tools to cope with fighting on two fronts.

But this first setback of the season hinted at the tougher challenges that may lie ahead, starting with the trip to Athens this Thursday, followed by a clash in the capital against Fulham.