Burnley 0-1 Southampton: Danny Ings strikes early as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men pick up for first points of the season
Burnley 0-1 Southampton: Danny Ings strikes early as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men pick up for first points of the season
Southampton’s Danny Ings pushed his claims for a first England start by scoring at former club Burnley to earn his side their first points of the season.
Ings, who spent four years at Turf Moor until joining Liverpool in 2015, exposed a depleted Burnley defence to cleverly fire Saints ahead early on.
The in-form striker’s two caps have both been off the bench but he’ll expect to be included in Gareth Southgate’s squad announced next Thursday and will hope to be in the XI for at least one of their games against Wales, Belgium or Denmark.
Ings had the simple task of finish into an empty net with Burnley keeper Nick Pope stranded
The Burnley players could only watch on as Ings netted this third goal of the season
Burnley were without a number of key players on Saturday night and have now lost both their Premier League games this season.
Sean Dyche has been disgruntled about a lack of new signings but at least he was able to give £2million buy Dale Stephens his Clarets debut.
With neat symmetry, it was Stephens’ 100th Premier League appearance, the others coming at Brighton, in Dyche’s 400th game as a manager.
James Tarkowski was again absent as Leicester and West Ham continue to show interest while reports of an American takeover at Turf Moor rumble on.
Dyche’s bench was filled mainly with academy youngsters to underline the point why more recruits are needed before transfer deadline day.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche was without a number of key players on Saturday night
Southampton’s slow start to the season wasn’t reflected by manager Ralph Hasenhuttl making only two changes from the team beaten 5-2 at home by Spurs.
The visitors made a quick start and were rewarded by taking the lead with a fine goal after five minutes.
Kyle Walker-Peters advanced down the right and threaded a pass into Che Adams. He cleverly cut back for Ings who finished with typical composure from eight yards despite the best efforts of Jimmy Dunne to intercept.
It was the England forward’s third goal of the campaign and 26th since the start of last season – nobody has scored more in that period. It was also an example of how 4-4-2, a system both sides deployed last night, can work at its best.
Burnley, who uncharacteristically shipped four goals in their Premier League opener at Leicester, looked rocky with Nick Pope having an unfamiliar centre-back pairing of Kevin Long and Dunne in front of him.
Dunne, who only made his Premier League debut a week ago, was forced into a hurried clearance when more experienced colleagues allowed Ings and Adams to run through them.
Dyche was missing Ben Mee, Robbie Brady, Ashley Barnes and Jay Rodriguez besides Tarkowski but that shouldn’t deflect from Southampton’s impressive first-half performance with plenty of movement off the ball.
All Burnley offered only fleeting responses. Matej Vydra lashed over the bar but and Chris Wood appealed for a penalty fell after a nudge by Jan Bednarek that also had Dyche raising his arms.
Saints led Spurs until first-half injury time and ended up losing heavily. So Burnley knew they were in the game as long as they didn’t concede a second.
Defender Phil Bardsley needed treatment after being caught on his ear by Moussa Djenepo’s elbow in an aerial challenge but it was deemed accidental by the Saints winger.
Burnley started the second half sharper and Wood forced Alex McCarthy into a flying save in the opening minute. Bardsley then got his revenge on Djenepo with a hack that got the full-back a yellow card.
Charlie Taylor tested McCarthy and Wood was then staggered as he chased a long punt by Pope, dispossessed Ryan Bertrand and finished from an acute angle only for the whistle to have already been blown for offside.
It begged the question why Scott Ledger had raised his flag on a marginal call instead of letting the move run its course as instructed. But fortunately for them replays did show Wood off by the slenderest of margins. To add to the confusion, referee Marriner complained of headset malfunction in communicating with Mike Dean at Stockley Park.
