The penalty that was given was Burnley's first in the top-flight since April 2017 although Dyche was still left frustrated with the decision that did not go in his side's favour.

He said: "I can't believe what I've seen and it's not given as a penalty. Now people might disagree with me but that's as clear a penalty as I've seen in a long, long time.

"There's no question on any level, I don't think. It can't be any clearer. He falls naturally.

"What worries me in the game at the minute is when people dive they get penalties but when people fall naturally they're not getting them.

"That's got to be worrying if that doesn't get given as a penalty and we see some of the madness of the game at the minute, and how penalties are getting given with people getting touched on the arm and their legs buckle.

"Now if (the penalty they were awarded) wasn't given, I don't know how I would have conducted this because that would have been mental. It would have been a travesty if we didn't at least get a point."

Former England striker Peter Crouch made his Burnley debut against former club Southampton, coming on in the final quarter of an hour.

The 38-year-old, signed on transfer deadline day until the end of the season, was at the forefront of Burnley's leveller as his header came off Stephens' raised arm.

Dyche added of his new signing: "He's such an odd figure, he draws people all over the place and they end up more worried about him because if you don't deal with him then his record suggests he will take a chance.

"Possibly that put doubt in the mind of the player handballing it. It is a penalty, his arm is in an unnatural position."

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was phlegmatic about his side conceding late on and refused to be critical of the decision to award Burnley a penalty.

The Austrian said: "I don't want to discuss the decisions of the referee because he made a good job. It's not easy to lead such a game like this which was a high-intensity game.

"We didn't want to discuss any decisions the referee made and so we don't do any discussions about the penalty. They got one in overtime, that's football.

"Things happen in football. The hand was a little bit high and Crouch is very clever, he maybe had the header on his high hand and the referee gave this penalty."

Despite the late equaliser, Southampton, like Burnley, extended their unbeaten start in the Premier League in 2019 – although they lost Danny Ings to a hamstring injury in the first half at Turf Moor.

Hasenhuttl is hopeful the former Burnley striker will be back sooner rather than later as he reflected on another satisfying display from his side.

Hasenhuttl added: "I think this 1-1 is not an unfair result for both sides. I think we showed it's not so easy to beat us at this moment."

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