Burnley vs West Ham: Sean Dyche's side return to winning ways as changes pay-off against Hammers

Burnley 2-0 West Ham: Tom Heaton replaced Joe Hart as one of five changes to the Burnley side that were thrashed by Everton on Boxing Day

The change of goalkeeper transformed the mood at Burnley ahead of their 2-0 win against West Ham. When Tom Heaton athletically turned Andy Carroll’s header on to the bar with two minutes left, he received a standing ovation. Chants of “England’s number one” ranged around Turf Moor. Sean Dyche’s gamble had paid off.

A chastening 5-1 home defeat by Everton on Boxing Day had prompted Dyche to make five changes; one of them involved dropping Joe Hart and bringing back Heaton for a first Premier League appearance in 476 days.

It would be grossly unfair to Hart to claim that the change inspired a much-needed victory, after a run of nine defeats in 11 games had dropped them deep into relegation trouble. The change in mood it inspired, though, was noticeable. The crowd roared when Heaton’s name was read out over the public address system; Burnley’s players took their cue from that change of atmosphere.

Yet there was a significant moment, in the opening 10 minutes of the match, when a repeat of Burnley’s Boxing Day horrors could so easily have been set in motion.

James Tarkowski skewed a clearance behind to concede a corner, in circumstances similar to those that led to Everton’s first goal three days ago.

This time, though, the visiting side were unable to take advantage of the set-piece, despite some nervous defending, as Robert Snodgrass bent the ball in, Angelo Ogbonna headed downwards and Heaton held the ball on the line.

It was a save that Joe Hart would probably have made too, but it was just a sign that the breaks were going Burnley’s way. Surviving that early scare was just the confidence boost that they needed.

Moments later, they were in front, and Heaton had even played a part in the goal.

The goalkeeper advanced quickly beyond his penalty area to head clear as Snodgrass chased Felipe Anderson’s through ball; Ashley Westwood then exchanged passes with Dwight McNeil and Jack Cork before angling a pass from the left for Ashley Barnes to head down and Chris Wood to sweep in. The release of tension around Turf Moor was palpable.

Chris Wood opened the scoring (REUTERS)

Yet even then, the apprehension did not dissipate instantly for the home side. Tarkowski was lucky that an awful pass out of defence rebounded straight to him off Felipe Anderson; it was the sort of error that Everton had been quick to pounce on.

Gradually, though, Burnley began to remember what they were about, and after Wood had been denied by a timely block on the edge of the penalty area by Issa Diop, they extended their lead.

Westwood again played his part, collecting the ball to the right of the penalty area as the visitors failed to deal with a sustained bout of pressure, then delivering an out-swinging cross that McNeil forced past Lukasz Fabianski at the far post for his first senior goal.

McNeil almost scored again before half-time, but the ball arrived just behind him as he met Barnes’ cross on the run, and he steered the chance wide.

West Ham were well-below their best (REUTERS)

A third Burnley goal early in the second half would have extinguished all remaining anxieties, but neither Wood nor Barnes could provide it, despite having the chances.

Wood had the greater reason to be frustrated with himself, managing an air-shot when Barnes’ low ball found him unmarked just after half-time, and then placing a shot wide after Westwood had played him through with only Fabianski to beat.

Yet Burnley looked comfortable enough, even with Andy Carroll introduced as a substitute to try to rough them up. Heaton gathered one shot from the striker comfortably midway through the second half, but the cheers that greeted that were nothing compared with the roar that met his spectacular late save. Dyche must have felt a great sense of satisfaction.