THERE were 10 minutes remaining on Saturday when the television cameras panned to a girl reading a book in the stand. A tactical change had again taken a game beyond Burnley, and the drama was over.

A match that had been thoroughly enthralling before half time had petered out disappointingly for the Clarets.

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As soon as Jason Shackell inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 58th minute, the result was effectively decided.

Burnley never looked like getting back into it. Any atmosphere and tension faded away.

How interested the girl was in the game in the first place we will never know, but by 80 minutes her boredom was clear.

It was hard to foresee the match ending that way after a first half when the Clarets threatened every time they went forward.

But things changed when Southampton boss Ronald Koeman introduced Victor Wanyama for Dusan Tadic at half time.

The Saints switched to one up front, with Wanyama taking a holding midfield role.

As a result, Burnley never created a chance of note in the second half.

It is not an entirely unfamiliar tale this season.

Think of Liverpool, when Burnley were all over the Reds at Turf Moor in the opening period before Brendan Rodgers brought on Emre Can at half time and changed the game.

Or Newcastle at home, when Burnley led at half time but the visitors brought on the influential Remy Cabella and earned a point.

Or Crystal Palace at home, when Burnley led 2-0 before Alan Pardew switched Wilfried Zaha to the right and changed the game in an instant.

Or West Bromwich Albion at home, when Burnley led at half time but Tony Pulis brought on an extra striker in Brown Ideye, who netted the equaliser.

Even Manchester United away, when Burnley battered their hosts in the first half before their momentum subsided after the interval, when Wayne Rooney was dropped back further into a holding midfield role.

Tactical changes are part of football, and there have been examples that have worked in Burnley’s favour this season.

Sean Dyche brought on Sam Vokes as an extra striker at Chelsea before Ben Mee equalised.

He also introduced Ross Wallace to help rescue a point against both Leicester City and Aston Villa.

But the examples are fewer, probably because Burnley’s capacity to change things in a game is less than most of their Premier League opponents.

Top flight football has boosted the Clarets’ resources – they travelled by private jet to Southampton on Saturday.

But their squad is still smaller than all of their rivals, and smaller than Dyche would ideally have liked.

When Dyche looks to change things during a game, his options are more limited.

True, Burnley often start matches well, so there are fewer reasons to alter things.

But Koeman’s tactical change on Saturday was a good example of why the Clarets’ fine start in games has often gone unrewarded.

A £12.5m central midfielder is a useful half-time substitute.

Southampton supporters sung happy birthday to their manager during the game, and Koeman admitted afterwards that victory was a welcome 52nd birthday present.

It was a less happy afternoon for lifelong Saints fan Sam Vokes and fellow Burnley strikers Danny Ings and Lukas Jutkiewicz, who were on the club's books as youngsters.

Ings cut a frustrated figure as he trudged off after being substituted being late on.

By then, he knew the game had gone.