Burnley manager Nicky Hayen has vowed to keep fighting after a 1-2 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers extended the club's winless run at Turf Moor to 21 matches. The loss leaves Burnley 21st in the Championship standings, with just eight points from 11 games and only goal difference keeping them out of the relegation zone. Their record of one win, five draws and five losses from those 11 matches underlines the scale of the challenge.
Jamie Vardy gave Burnley the lead in the 20th minute with his first goal for the club, but defensive errors proved costly. Captain Kyle Walker's mistake was punished by Fer López's equaliser six minutes before half-time, and a heavy touch from defender Igor Júlio led to substitute Tawanda Chirewa scoring the winner 23 seconds after coming on.
Speaking to reporters, Hayen acknowledged his side's first-half courage but lamented the errors that shifted the game. "I will not give up," Hayen said. "I am not thinking about (the future) because I don’t want to lose energy. That’s a question for other people." He added that he understood the frustration of supporters who have not seen a league win at home since October last year.
The defeat compounds a difficult start to the campaign under Hayen, who succeeded Scott Parker in the summer following relegation from the Premier League. Burnley's recent form reads one win, two draws and two losses from their last five outings, a sequence that began with a 1-1 draw at Wrexham on 8 September and includes a heavy 3-1 loss at Swansea on 12 September. They followed that with a 1-1 home draw with Derby on 19 September before a resounding 4-0 victory at Watford on 10 October. However, they could not build on that, conceding a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Charlton on 13 October before this latest setback. Across the season, they have scored 16 goals but conceded 21, leaving them with a negative five goal difference.
Attention now turns to the next fixture, an away trip to face Lincoln on Saturday 24 October. Lincoln currently sit 18th in the table, offering a potential opportunity for Burnley to gain ground. Hayen also confirmed the club's injury situation remains challenging, with three first-team players sidelined for the foreseeable future. Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto praised his substitute's impact, noting the difficulty of playing at Turf Moor.
Background and full detail: bbc.co.uk
