CLARETS AT THE DOUBLE IN PRE-SEASON OPENER

The Clarets stepped up their pre-season preparations with two training-ground wins and plenty of game time for the squad.

Boss Sean Dyche split his resources across two teams to face Salford City and Morecambe.

And the Clarets overcame Salford 4-0 - thanks to doubles for Jay Rodriguez and Josh Brownhill - and beat newly-promoted League One outfit Morecambe 2-1 with goals from Ashley Barnes and Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

Summer signing Nathan Collins made his first appearance in a Burnley shirt alongside skipper Ben Mee against League Two outfit Salford.

The defender – who played a couple of eye-catching balls out from the back – helped keep a clean sheet before becoming the only outfield player to be substituted just before the end on a baking afternoon at Barnfield.

The rest of the side completed 90 minutes in a valuable fitness work-out ahead of Saturday’s opening public pre-season friendly at Oldham Athletic.

It was a similar story on the ‘top pitch’ where the senior men also completed a full game.

Barnes set Burnley on their way to victory against the Shrimps as he drilled home a low strike from just inside the penalty area with a quarter of an hour gone.

With Chris Wood away on Olympic duty and Matej Vydra nearing the end of his delayed break post-Euro 2020, there was an opportunity alongside Barnes for Lewis Richardson.

The teenager twice went close to adding to Burnley’s lead before the break before Gudmundsson did double the lead in the second half when he fired home from the edge of the box.

There was to be no double clean sheet, however, as Morecambe pulled a goal back through Josh McPake.

Salford were shut out in the other game, where Will Norris completed most of the goalkeeping duties as new recruit Wayne Hennessey was allowed to find his feet after signing on earlier in the day.

Norris made one sharp save early on to keep out an effort from Conor McAleny but almost all the chances came Burnley’s way, with the outstanding Dwight McNeil invariably a factor.

Rob Harker – another young striker to get a chance after scoring in both the U23s’ games in Scotland last week – lifted an opportunity over the top.

But he was involved, along with Rodriguez, in the opening goal stroked home by Brownhill.

Rodriguez then made it 2-0 after an hour with a close-range finish following an excellent move triggered by Brownhill and Salford-born Phil Bardsley.

Rodriguez then helped himself to a third following a defensive lapse and Brownhill’s deflected late finish rounded off an excellent afternoon’s work.

Burnley (v Salford): Norris (Trialist 65); Bardsley, Collins (Bedeau), Mee, Taylor; Thompson, Brownhill, Benson, McNeil; Rodriguez, Harker.

Burnley (v Morecambe): Peacock-Farrell; Lowton, Tarkowski, Thomas, Pieters; Glennon (Tucker), Westwood, Cork, Gudmundsson; Barnes, Richardson.