Scott Parker expressed sadness and disappointment after more video assistant referee controversy denied Burnley a remarkable comeback in a seven-goal thriller against Brentford. The home side trailed 3-0 after 34 minutes, facing hostility from their own fans, but fought back to level before having a fourth goal ruled out when Jaidon Anthony was adjudged to be a shoulder-width offside.
Mikkel Damsgaard put Brentford back in front three minutes into injury time, only for Ashley Barnes to net and spark scenes of jubilation. However, his apparent equaliser was also chalked off for handball after a long delay. Parker said: 'Maybe a little bit of injustice. I’ve not watched it back. I saw it on the big screen and I was thinking it looks like his hand is beside his side. It looks so, so harsh.'
Parker added: 'We’ve gone and scored five goals in the space of 60 minutes, which is quite incredible. The world we’re in, we’re all looking for perfection. The game is looking for perfection.' Loud boos greeted the final whistle, with jeering and chants against Parker and owner Alan Pace during a woeful first half. Burnley have not won at home in the league since October, but Parker hopes the response will win over dissenters.
'Walking in from half-time, it wasn’t nice,' he said. 'Everyone has choices to vent how they want to vent. The fans were brilliant in the second half, but that was down to us. I understand the frustration of course, we’re all frustrated at 3-0 down. There’s one thing our supporters can see leaving here, and you can be critical in certain moments, but the one thing you can’t be critical of is this group and what this shirt means.'
Brentford manager Keith Andrews, who signed a new long-term deal this week, said he would not have been happy had the VAR decisions gone against his side but felt they were correct. He said: 'The first half we were very good, played with a lot of conviction, we attacked with real speed and venom and belief. The own goal just changed it a little bit... This was never going to be an easy game. If I’d been asked [beforehand] if I would accept a 4-3 victory, I would have taken it.'
