Burnley 1 - 0 Newcastle: Sean Dyche marks five-year Burnley anniversary with triumph over Newcastle

Posted Tuesday, October 31, 2017 by PA

Sean Dyche celebrated his fifth anniversary as Burnley manager with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle that moved them up to seventh.

Jeff Hendrick's 74th-minute winner settled a dull contest at Turf Moor as the Clarets leapfrogged Rafael Benitez's Magpies in the Premier League table.

Newcastle were in the Europa League when Dyche was appointed Eddie Howe's successor in October 2012, but it is Burnley who now sit just beneath the European positions, albeit with just 10 games of the season completed.

The Clarets were in the bottom half of the Championship when Dyche arrived, and two promotions have been followed by last year's campaign of consolidation in the Premier League.

There was no pre-match ceremonial display to mark Dyche's landmark, merely some extra clapping in the supporters' direction during his normal walk across the pitch from tunnel to dugout.

His team was without injured top scorer Chris Wood, while Sam Vokes was only fit enough for the bench, so Ashley Barnes - another man celebrating a milestone on his 28th birthday - led the hosts' attack.

The game started with Hendrick steering a half-volley wide from James Tarkowski's flick-on inside 40 seconds, though that proved to be an anomaly rather than the first of several chances.

Corners at either end provided half-chances - Hendrick's header being diverted wide by Jonjo Shelvey's boot, while Christian Atsu stabbed over after both Tarkowski and Jack Cork failed to clear.

Shelvey was the one who looked the most likely to make something happen and his sweetly struck effort might have caused Clarets goalkeeper Nick Pope issues if it was not directed straight at him.

Pope showed more agility at the start of the second period when Joselu's lay-off allowed Ayoze Perez to fire an attempt towards goal that the Burnley stopper pushed wide with both hands.

With Barnes offering little as Burnley's spearhead, and his support act Hendrick frequently caught offside, their best chances were coming from set-pieces as Tarkowski nodded a deep Robbie Brady free-kick at Rob Elliot.

Hendrick was in the way when Cork took a shot from distance, inadvertently deflecting it over the top, but he was finally in the right place at the right time with 16 minutes to go.

It was Steven Defour and Cork who won possession in midfield by hounding Perez and the latter then fired a shot at Elliot having played a give-and-go to Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

The ball came back to the Iceland international and his driven cross reached Hendrick at the back post, and he controlled on his thigh before smashing into the roof of the net from close range.

Shelvey and substitute Isaac Hayden both brought saves out of Pope late on while Javier Manquillo flicked a header onto the roof of the net, but Dyche was able to mark his landmark day with a second home win of the campaign.