SEAN Dyche was pleased with Burnley's opening weekend performance as they earned a point on the road at Southampton.

The Clarets boss felt it was a 'winning draw' for his side after they dominated for large periods at St Mary's.

Burnley shrugged off any concerns over a Europa League hangover after the third qualifying round tie in Istanbul on Thursday to turn in a classy display on the south coast, although they failed to make their pressure count and had to settle for a second successive goalless draw.

"I'm certainly pleased with the performance, to come down and dominate for periods of the game isn’t easy in any Premier League game away from home, or at home for that matter," Dyche said.

“And I thought there were some really good passages of play. Result-wise, it’s a clean sheet.

“One of my managers John Duncan used to say ‘it’s a winning draw’.

“There were a lot of pleasing things, a bit of noise about whether they will be fit enough, but I thought that was outstanding.

“The work ethic, the desire, the will, and a good mixed bag - some very good football, controlled football, opened them up, caused trouble, keeper’s made two good saves."

The Saints came into it late on when they introduced Danny Ings and Mohamed Elyounoussi but Burnley held on for a point.

“The last 20 minutes they changed shape, maybe by default, maybe they’d been planning it, I don’t know, but they came back into it," added Dyche.

“It’s very difficult to dominate a whole game in the Premier League and often teams have a spell.

“Then the other side of our performance was resolute, good shape, good energy, demand to make sure we came away with a clean sheet and a point."

Burnley should have been ahead inside seven minutes when Jack Cork's goal was disallowed for offside, only for replays to suggest he had been level.

Dyche also felt the Clarets could have had a second half penalty when Jack Stephens lunged in to make a block of Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

"It’s tight, I’ve only seen it from a computer screen, I don’t know what VAR would make of it, and I’m a big fan of it, but it was tight," he said.

"With his body language, he’s facing the wrong way, etc, one foot is onside, the other maybe not, I don’t know.

"I’m not crying it in, you just hope over a season we get one back.

"Possible penalty (on Gudmundsson), crying it in a bit, but if that challenge is in the middle of the pitch, it’s interesting, the referee probably gives a foul.

"But, is one my defenders putting a foot in there in a goalscoring opportunity.

"That was a marginal one."