IT was minute 61 on Saturday when Sean Dyche threw his arms aloft in frustration. Yet another decision had gone against Ashley Barnes, and the Burnley manager did not look impressed.

Barnes had been hauled back by Ashley Williams, but referee Jon Moss had waved play on.

Not long beforehand, in minute 55, Dyche had felt compelled to make a point to the fourth official after his striker had been penalised for the fourth time of the afternoon, for the slightest of contacts with Federico Fernandez.

Clarets fans were chanting ‘You’re not fit to referee’ at Moss by the time he waved away a second penalty appeal of the game late on, when Sam Vokes appeared to be fouled inside the box.

After the week that Burnley had just had, chastised by the national media amid baffling insinuations that they were the sort of blood-thirsty bruisers who would have left the Crazy Gang cowering in a corner, it was easy for people to wonder.

Was it a campaign against Burnley? Maybe dark forces, hushed conversations in the secret corridors of power?

In reality, probably not. This was most likely not a case of the Illuminati getting involved at Turf Moor, just a day when the decisions went against the Clarets.

Dyche said as much himself after the game.

Yes, he felt Vokes should have been given a penalty, but he was measured in his assessment of that and the decisions given against Barnes.

To employ a favourite phrase of his, he was not about to overthink it.

And that was pretty much that. No back page headlines in the national newspapers, no phone calls to get him on Goals on Sunday, no cries for lengthy suspensions.

An afternoon, too, when not one person was accused of a ‘studs up reducer’.

Barnes, the somewhat bemused centre of attention at Chelsea last weekend, received huge cheers from the home crowd when his name was announced before kick-off.

If Jose Mourinho had been attempting to create a siege mentality at Stamford Bridge, he also helped to foster one at Turf Moor. Clarets fans were determined to rally round their much lambasted striker.

Chants of ‘Ginger Mourinho’ in appreciation of their manager were also conspicuous in their absence. That moniker may now be dropped by supporters, such is the ill-feeling towards the Chelsea boss.

Barnes had a steady if not spectacular match, seeing an early shot saved before being withdrawn in injury time.

By then his free kick count for the day was five against, one for.

It is not a statistic that either he or Dyche were entirely happy about, and Burnley must hope that the reputation Barnes has gained - however undeserved - does not mean referees are now viewing him with a more watchful and critical eye, perhaps subconsciously as much as anything.

It must be remembered, though, that Barnes was at the top of the Premier League’s foul count for the season even before the Chelsea game.

Challenging for the ball is an indisputable part of his game as a target man, and fouls are an inevitable result sometimes.

There was some talk of whether fans would applaud in minute 69 on Saturday in support of Barnes - the minute in which his collision with Nemanja Matic had happened a week earlier.

As it turned out, supporters were in no mood for that by then anyway. Swansea had taken the lead shortly beforehand.

Ultimately, just as minute 81 was the main source of Mourinho’s anger a week ago, the only minute that really mattered on Saturday was 64.