West Ham’s André Ayew spoils Burnley’s end-of-season party
Press Association
Date Published Sunday 21 May 2017 17.19 BST

Sean Dyche claimed that the disappointment of losing on the final day would soon fade as he reflected on a fine season.

Burnley were beaten 2-1 by West Ham United at Turf Moor as their first season back in the Premier League drew to a close, but their survival had already been guaranteed. That ensured the club would finish in their highest league position since 1975, whatever the outcome of this game.

Burnley might even have started their season-ending party with a win had they built on Sam Vokes’s opening goal, but Sofiane Feghouli and André Ayew responded for the visitors.

Dyche said: “Your instinct as a manager is to search for that winning feeling every week, so that is the only disappointment today. That will fade quickly into what has been a very good and strong season.

“It should have been out of sight at half-time. We had three unbelievably good chances and at this level you have to take them.

“We scored a good goal and with the chances beyond that, if we score again, I think the game is in our control. Whilst it is in the balance you are never quite sure.

“But the bigger picture is – we didn’t just achieve the goal, we’d got that done early on, against all the odds with a group of players who are still adapting, still trying to improve, still learning.

“The disappointment I feel as a manager today will go away quickly because, overall, we were given no chance.”

Such was the good feeling around Turf Moor that one of the local pubs, the Princess Royal, was advertising free drinks for Dyche. “I don’t mind a little half a shandy – so that may cost them a few quid!” Dyche joked.

Burnley were without the highly rated defender Michael Keane because of injury, and Dyche could not guarantee that the 24-year-old would still be at the club next term.

The manager said: “The one thing we know is we are in a strong position. He has got a year to run on his contract.

“If nothing happens that is suitable for us, then he will carry on playing. We will wait and see what the summer brings.”

West Ham’s victory brought a pleasing end to what has been a disappointing campaign after the seventh-placed finish last year. The Hammers took time to settle after their move to the London Stadium last summer and injuries then undermined their progress. The result took them to a final position of 11th.

Slaven Bilic, the West Ham manager, said: “It is always nice to finish a season with a win or a good performance and we got both today. We deserved to win. We knew, like any other club here, we were going to have problems but we coped well with them.

“We played really nice football. We created a lot of clear-cut chances and even more than that. I am really pleased with the way we played. Overall, it is great to finish the season like this.”