Boss Dyche hails 'sublime' Sam after Hornets draw

10:01am Saturday 30th March 2013

By Suzanne Geldard

SEAN Dyche praised a “sublime” finish by Sam Vokes which secured a point at promotion-pushing Watford, and Burnley’s first three-goal return under the former Hornets manager’s watch.

The Clarets were in front inside a minute through Charlie Austin, only to be pegged back by Troy Deeney’s 15th goal of the season five minutes later.

Austin restored Burnley’s lead midway through the first half – the first time the club’s top scorer had scored more than once in a game since October.

But again the lead was short-lived as Fernando Forestieri equalised before the half-hour.

The Argentine went on to fire Watford in front for the first time in the game in the 71st minute.

But Dyche’s decision to throw on Vokes and Martin Paterson for a three-pronged attack in the closing stages paid off, with Wales striker Vokes firing in a stoppage time equaliser to prevent Watford from taking second place in the Championship, and push Burnley up to the 50-point mark.

And former Hornets boss Dyche praised his players’ character in the comeback, as he returned to Vicarage Road for the first time as an opposition manager.

“We went for it, three centre forwards, wanting to attack, wanting to get them on the back foot and try to increase the pressure on them, which we did in spells,” he said.

“I always believe in the law of one more chance, as I call it, and sure enough he (Vokes) gets one chance and he slots it.

“He’s another one who’s played big parts for us and we like that, when you make changes and they perform you enjoy that, and they enjoy it of course.”

Of the overall performance, Dyche added: “I’m reasonably happy, in the first half I thought we took the game to them and looked like we would score a few more to be honest.

“Every time we went into the box I thought we looked like we were really ruffling feathers and making it uncomfortable for them. But it was a game of mistakes in the first half, and in the second half I was a bit frustrated because we gave the ball away so many times.

“But you’re building more than just a technical team, you’re building a mentality and the mentality was fantastic. The lads stayed in it and kept going and got the rewards.”

Dyche was forced into a change to his line-up after Michael Duff went down with a recurrence of his calf injury in the warm-up.

The defender was replaced by Kevin Long in the back four, with David Edgar stepping up to the bench.

“It was fine and he’s trained but in the warm-up it was tight and too tight in the end, so we had to call it.

“Longy went in at the last minute and it’s a big ask down here but he’ll learn from that.”