BROWNHILL: PERFORMANCES ARE BETTER THIS TIME AROUND

Midfielder Josh Brownhill admitted it was tough for the Burnley dressing room to accept defeat at Everton on Monday night, having played so well for so long at Goodison Park.

Brownhill, 25, was one of several players who came close to putting Burnley ahead in the first half before the Clarets eventually took the lead through Ben Mee’s header not long after half time.

But three quickfire goals from ex-Claret Michael Keane, Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray in a seven-minute spell inflicted a third defeat of the campaign on Sean Dyche's men.

And Brownhill said: “It was obviously gutting to not get anything out the game. I think for the majority of the game we were in control and looked very secure. We didn’t feel like we were giving them many chances.

“So when the game is like that and you go 1-0 up, you think you can see the game out. We’re normally very good at that, particularly last season.

“It was a few minutes of madness that cost us. It went really fast and before you know it, we are 3-1 down.

“To feel in control of the game and thinking, ‘we’re not going to let it slip’, to that was tough. With the players they (Everton) have got, with so much quality, you know they are going to punish you.”

For a while Burnley could sense that first win of the season to take back to Turf Moor, Mee’s fine header putting them on course.

But once again a 1-0 lead could not be converted into maximum points, something that both the manager and Brownhill know needs to be rectified going forward.

“This year we have done that too many times already, going a goal up and then not seeing it out, so that is definitely something we need to work on as a team,” added Brownhill.

“It was heart-breaking going back into the dressing room after the game, knowing we did so well to go 1-0 up and play the way we did. We don’t feel like we deserved a 3-1 scoreline at the end.

“For us, we do need to take those positives that for a lot of the game we dominated. We have to take that into the weekend now, facing another tough game.”

Although the Clarets are still looking for a first league win of the season following the trip to Merseyside, Brownhill insisted the dressing room won’t panic and continue to believe the wins will start coming.

He added: “We still believe. We have been in this position before. Last year we didn’t have the best of starts, after seven games we had only two points.

“We aren’t quite that far in this time, and the performances are better this time around. We have scored and got in front, so we are doing something right.

“It is just that final detail, which we are normally good at. I don’t think there is anything to worry about. We have been in worse positions later on in the season and crawled that back.

“So as much as we are disappointed, I don’t think there is anything too big to worry about in the camp. It has only been a few games. We’re not worrying too much just yet.”