SEAN Dyche felt his side had been flat in their 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth after reaching the 40-point mark in the Premier League last week.

The Clarets are all but safe thanks to their goal difference advantage over Hull City and the Turf Moor boss said his side had been below par at the Vitality Stadium.

They had looked like snatching a point when Sam Vokes headed home in the 83rd minute to cancel out Junior Stanislas' opener, but Josh King struck two minutes later to claim all three points for the Cherries, who had dominated the second half.

"I don't want to be hyper-critical of the players, because they've had some really big games, really important games lately, and to get to that 40-point mark I think was a big sigh of relief as much as anything," Dyche said.

"The tension was building, so today there was a flatness to the performance, particularly second half.

"We conceded two really poor goals, especially the second - the first one can happen, but the second is a really poor goal.

"We got a fine goal ourselves, and Vokesey was excellent again - the two centre forwards for each side, Vokesy and Josh King were probably the best players on the pitch.

"I'm disappointed in the end, but over the season it's hard to question this group."

Burnley twice conceded when players got the wrong side of their men, and Dyche was disappointed with the goals they shipped on the coast.

"Our two centre halves are earning their spurs at this level, and Longy has come from nowhere, and credit to him physically for playing two back to back games," the Clarets chief said.

"But the shape of the back four got lost a couple of times today, which is unusual for us, but it's difficult at the moment to be too critical.

"And Eddie has got a good side, and for all they played some good stuff, I don't think they really penetrated too much, so I was pleased with that.

"We just had two poor moments defensively."

With both teams booking their places in the Premier League for 2017/18 there was an end of campaign feel to proceedings at time, but Dyche is confident his side can bounce back at Turf Moor next week to finish a memorable season on a high against West Ham United.

"It looked like 'lets come down here and get the game done', type-thinking," he said.

"That subliminal 'we've got the job done" type-thinking, and that can work either way - sometimes it gives you a lift, and sometimes you can be a bit flat. But we have the home game next week and have a chance to sign off the season in a good manner."