COYLE HAILS CLARETS FIGHT

Coyle - pleased with Burnley.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle believes his side's 3-2 victory over Championship strugglers Watford "sums up the spirit and character" of the Clarets.

The win, their third at Turf Moor in seven days, leaves Watford without a victory from the last 12 matches on their travels.

Will Hoskins fired the away side into an early lead, but as the home team grew in confidence they forced a penalty from which Graham Alexander levelled the match.

On the stroke of half-time the home defence allowed Hoskins to ghost in for his second.

But Burnley got themselves back on level terms for a second time when Martin Paterson scored just after the break and then Wade Elliott settled an entertaining game with a second-half header.

"I think it was a magnificent three points but we made it difficult for ourselves," he said.

"But I don't think we ever got to the dizzy heights of the displays that we have turned in recently.

"I thought we played in fits and starts and didn't start the game well. We lost a terrible goal through a defensive error but then we got ourselves back in the game and took the game on.

"But I was really disappointed to lose a second goal in injury time.

"We had one or two words exchanged at half-time but the players were under no illusions as to what was required.

"We really went for it in the second half and scored a magnificent goal and then Wade Elliott's winning goal.

"The whole move is what we're trying to do at the club and on a consistent level. But Watford were always a threat and they always keep you on your toes and never relaxing.

"Coming in at 2-1 down sums up the spirit and character we've got and we just kept on going and that is what we're trying to do."

The Burnley boss knows it will not get any easier with Reading, who tonight ended Wolves' unbeaten start to the season, lying in wait.

"I think we were deserving of the three points. I am delighted to get the three points but we've got a massive game on Saturday against a team that is carrying all before them," he added.

"We're nine games into the season and we don't get carried away with tables."

Coyle singled out midfielders Chris McCann and Elliott for special praise and felt it was no surprise to see the latter have a hand in each of Burnley's three goals.

"We know Wade Elliott. We know he's a top-class player and we've given him the license to go forward," he said.

"The lad McCann. The drive he showed throughout and the quality of the cross; a lot of credit must go to McCann."

Coyle's opposite number Adrian Bothroyd was frustrated by the result and accused his players of being "unprofessional".

He said: "I like Burnley because they keep going until the end. We have jobs to do and we do them consistently.

"If you go ahead in a game like that, you win if you're a professional. Tonight we were very unprofessional and that's why we got beat.

"We were 1-0 up, 2-1 up and then lost 3-2 - that doesn't happen. You win the game and we didn't do that."