Burnley’s Ashley Barnes makes Southampton pay for missed penalty

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/dec/13/burnley-southampton-premier-league-match-report

Version 0 of 1.

Southampton do not miss penalties. Other clubs might but, over more than two decades of excellence from 12 yards, Southampton did not. They established a reputation as the spot-kick specialists. Seeing Matt Le Tissier, James Beattie or Rickie Lambert step up amounted to a guarantee of a goal.

Yet nothing lasts forever. Southampton missed a penalty here and, to borrow from cliche, paid the penalty. Ashley Barnes delivered Burnley’s winner after Dusan Tadic was denied by Tom Heaton, ending Saints’ run of 29 consecutive Premier League successes from the spot. While one sequence ended, another less welcome one was extended. Southampton have now lost four games in a row.

Their best-ever start to a top-flight campaign is a fading memory. The statistical oddity at Turf Moor came courtesy of Heaton, who joined the select band to stop Southampton penalties in the Premier League. He can now be bracketed alongside Nottingham Forest’s Mark Crossley, who denied Le Tissier his 100% record in 1993.

Heaton’s historic moment brought praise from his manager. “An outstanding save rather than a miss,” insisted Burnley’s Sean Dyche. Koeman, drawing on his own set-piece expertise during his playing days, begged to disagree. “It is good goalkeeping but it is a bad penalty,” the Dutchman said. “It is strange because Tadic is a specialist. I know his record in Holland.”

Until recently, Burnley victories had a similar rarity value to Tadic’s misses but this was their third triumph in six games. Relentless running is starting to bring a reward and their pressing game led directly to the decider. Fraser Forster was fooled by the deflection that Barnes’s shot took off Toby Alderweireld after the effervescent Danny Ings charged down Nathaniel Clyne’s clearance. “I was really impressed by how Danny worked for the team,” Dyche added.

Once again, Koeman was nonplussed. “I call it a mistake because it is our throw-in and it ended with a goal from Burnley,” he said.

Errors have begun to creep into Southampton’s game. “It is not the first time,” said Koeman. “That is why we don’t win today, why we don’t win against Manchester United and why we had a row of winning games. It is all about scoring chances and [not making] mistakes in defence. In the last two games, we had more chances.” He departed Turf Moor rueing Victor Wanyama’s late header which cleared the crossbar.

Clyne also grazed the post with a 30-yard thunderbolt. Nevertheless, Burnley just about shaded it. “You need a scratch of luck,” Dyche said. “We got that with the goal. They are the margins. We have been on the wrong side of those and sometimes undeservedly so.”

Now a buoyant Burnley have elevated themselves from the relegation zone. “They had an unbelievable spirit,” said Koeman and, if the Clarets are to survive, their willingness to run mile after mile will be a prime reason.

In George Boyd and Kieran Trippier, they also had a right-sided partnership with menace. Their incursions threatened to lead to a goal when Boyd crossed and Clyne, attempting to cushion the ball back to Forster, applied rather too much power, requiring the goalkeeper to make a fine save. Yet having troubled Ryan Bertrand, Boyd tripped the Southampton left-back when he burst forward, conceding the penalty. It was one of the referee Mark Clattenburg’s simpler decisions.

The first flashpoint concerned a newcomer. Jake Hesketh, an 18-year-old who idolises Andrés Iniesta, was granted his first start by Koeman. While he showed composure on the ball, his most notable contribution could be attributed to youthful exuberance. Some in the crowd called for a red card when Hesketh slid in on Heaton. Clattenburg compromised by cautioning the teenager.

Hesketh was removed after being hurt in a shuddering collision with Michael Keane, “There were two yellow cards in the first half and he didn’t punish that foul,” Koeman noted.

Yet if Hesketh is further proof Southampton possess an excellent academy, they were left to rue one who got away. Ings was released as a schoolboy and took the circuitous route to the Premier League via Dorchester and Bournemouth. The former Saint hassled and harried his old employers into the crucial error, his energy giving Burnley momentum just as Southampton are losing it.