Saturday 9 January 2016 18:57, UK
Sean Dyche hailed Tom Heaton's goalkeeping heroics as Burnley repelled a string of Middlesbrough attacks to claim a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Heaton made excellent saves from Diego Fabbrini, David Nugent and Albert Adomah as goals from Rouwen Hennings and Stephen Ward secured Burnley a 2-1 win at the Riverside.
The visitors were second best for long spells against the Championship leaders, but took their chances when they arrived and boasted a goalkeeper at the very top of his game.
Heaton is challenging for a place as the third goalkeeper in Roy Hodgson's England squad for this summer's European Championships, and Dyche is adamant he should not be overlooked just because he is plying his trade in the Championship.
The Burnley boss said: "He pulled off three saves in one (leading up to) the goal, but the game changer was when Nugent went through.
"I imagine (Nugent) wanted him to go down, but he made himself big and pulled off a great save. He is an England goalkeeper, we keep reminding people, and he is no mug."
Dyche felt his players paid Middlesbrough too much respect in the first half, and was happy to see them being much more adventurous in the second period.
He said: "I had a quiet word with them at half-time to say the least. Middlesbrough are a good side but we didn't play our game and apart from a flash of superb play for our goal, we let them play.
"In the second half, we made it more comfortable and overall, they didn't have the same number of chances.
"Sometimes there is respect, but that is for before the game and that can go on to the pitch and there was too much respect and you can imagine that because they are going great.
"Footballers aren't daft and they know this is a challenge to play here, but in the second half that was us, playing our game."
Middlesbrough's exit means they can concentrate on achieving promotion from the Championship, but Aitor Karanka was nevertheless disappointed with the lapses of concentration that ultimately proved so costly.
The Boro head coach said: "I'm really disappointed because I never like to lose, especially in a game that we should have won by four, five or six goals because we had a lot of chances.
"That is what happens when you play and lose your concentration though. When you play in the way that we played the second half, that is what happens. When you lose your concentration, you make mistakes in the way that we did.
"If you do that, it is normal that this happens. For that reason, we have lost the game. I only hope that it is a game that helps us learn for the future."
