Dyche dives into spot-kick storm

Both sides walked away with a point after gritting their teeth for a goalless draw at Turf Moor but the Terriers might have won it had referee Christopher Kavanagh been taken in when Van La Parra hit the turf after instigating contact with Matt Lowton.

Town boss David Wagner accepted the Dutchman was deserving of both his booking and a fine, but Dyche came in with a full-blooded tirade. "It would have been an absolute farce," said the Clarets manager about the prospect of a spot-kick. "It's unacceptable in my book. I can't abide it. I feel for the referee and I thought he was excellent in the moment. But he should be protected from that.

"If it is a penalty they score, we lose and then he gets banned. How does that work?

"I've been harping on about this for three years and no-one wants to listen. It's for the good of the game. I travel across the country with my kid playing football and I'm watching 14-year-olds diving all over the place. Where do they get it from? They copy players.

"It's got to be clamped down on. Maybe the video thing (video assistant referee) will give the refs a chance to look at it. But it's got to go."

Wagner said his player had already pleaded guilty. "I was too far away and Sean was even further away than I was. I haven't seen it again but I have spoken with Van La Parra and it was a dive," said the German. Wagner was otherwise content to rack up a ninth point of the campaign and a fourth clean sheet - both numbers few would have backed the Terriers to reach after just six matches in the top flight.

"It was a deserved point in a tight and even game, both sides are very difficult to break down," he said. "Everybody worked hard and I'm pleased with the clean sheet of course. Everybody feels responsibility for the defence in our team. Every player on the grass feels responsibility for the hard yards."