Scott Parker makes Burnley admission after closing Leeds United gap with 'deadly' team praise

Burnley boss Scott Parker made an honest Clarets declaration after seeing his side close the gap to Leeds United and Sheffield United in the Championship’s automatic promotion race.

Parker’s third-placed side lined up for Friday night’s hosting of Sheffield Wednesday having fallen seven points behind leaders Leeds and five adrift of second-placed Sheffield United.

Burnley, though, made fresh inroads into those gaps with a 4-0 victory against the Owls as Marcus Edwards, Josh Brownhill, Connor Roberts and Manuel Benson all bagged a goal apiece.

Speaking post match and as quoted by the club’s website, Parker hailed his side for being “deadly” but declared that his men were “lacking” something in the first half and that Edwards netting two minutes before the break had been key for his team.

Parker said: “I think overall, first and foremost, you come here tonight to get three points and win the game, and I think you get into that point in the season where that's fundamentally key.

"I thought first half we lacked a little something really, probably an intent about us and we struggled a little bit, partly me in terms of how I prepped the team was very different to how Sheffield Wednesday came here.

"Half-time probably comes at a really good stage for us, because it gives us an opportunity to try and help the team and tactically make some adjustments that can give us that.

“The first goal then comes at a great time for us, no doubt, Marcus's goal just before half-time and I think it's fair to say that Sheffield were right in the game at half-time.

"To be fair, we had to be resolute, we had to stand up as a man, we had to protect our goal, and fundamentally over the course of this season we've managed to do that very well and it gives us a platform and in second half I thought we executed very, very well.”

Assessing the state of play as his side moved two points behind Sheffield United and four adrift of Leeds, Parker added: “I thought we were deadly on the sides of the pitch, our movements, and overall really pleased. Another clean sheet, four goals, three points, which is key, and we keep moving really.”