Burnley 0, Preston North End 2

The Lilywhite's last beat the Clarets on their own stomping ground eight years ago with a 3-2 triumph as the hosts were reduced to nine men.

It looked as though they were heading for maximum points in 2010 as they led 3-1 with five minutes remaining. But a sensational fightback, which brought a hat-trick for Chris Iwelumo, saw the Clarets edge the seven-goal thriller in stoppage time.

Sean Dyche's side made it nine games unbeaten at the Cardiff City Stadium last weekend where a spirited finale saw Rouwen Hennings salvage a point with the help of an own goal from Bluebirds defender Matthew Connolly.

There wasn't any evidence of that desire, however, as the Clarets opened December in disappointment against last season's League One play-off victors.

Preston's Will Keane, recalled to the side at the expense of Eoin Doyle, came out on top of the family affair as he put through his twin's legs to open the scoring. Daniel Johnson then compounded Burnley's misery with another second half strike.

In 134 meetings between two of the founder members of the Football League, the derby has only ever produced three goalless draws.

But it was heading for a fourth at the interval as both Tom Heaton and Jordan Pickford were unbeaten.

In uncompromising conditions at Turf Moor, the Clarets started well as they infiltrated the space in behind wing backs Adam Reach and Marnick Vermijl as Simon Grayson utilised a 3-5-2 formation.

Lilywhites skipper Tom Clarke made a vital interception with 10 minutes on the clock as he prevent George Boyd's pass from the right hand side from reaching Andre Gray inside the box.

Ben Mee was a key outlet for the Clarets in the opening 45 minutes and his cross-come-shot had Pickford troubled only for the ball to travel wide of the far post.

And moments later the full back fed another fine ball across the six-yard box but neither Gray or Sam Vokes were anywhere in sight.

Heaton opted to switch sides having won the coin toss, giving the Clarets the chance to play with the wind, but the visitors still created a number of good opportunities.

The first came when Joe Garner flicked Vermijl's throw on to Will Keane - twin brother of Burnley's Michael - but Tendayi Darikwa made a crucial block to stop the striker's header from testing Heaton.

At the opposite end, Joey Barton appeared odds on to open his account for the club when he was picked out at the back post by Gray's, albeit delayed, pass but the ball slipped off his toe as the midfielder went for placement.

North End went close again as the game approached the half-hour mark but Darikwa was in the right place at the right time once more to divert Clarke's shot to safety after Keane touched the ball in to the defender's path from Johnson's delivery.

It's been seven months since Burnley failed to score at home, which came in the stalemate against Stoke City, but there wsas an over-riding feeling that they faced an afternoon of frustration when Pickford denied Vokes in the 36th minute.

Both Greg Cunningham and Paul Huntington were unable to cut out Scott Arfield's centre and Vokes stole a yard from his marker to guide the ball goalwards. However, Pickford was conveniently positioned to push the attempt in the air before the ball dropped back down on to the crossbar.

As the half came to a close, Vermijl was awarded a yellow card from referee Kevin Friend after throwing Arfield to the ground.

The turning point of the fixture arrived after Alan Browne had fired in to the arms of Heaton with a right-footed volley.

Mee, who was deservedly awarded man of the match, was crudely obstructed by Vermijl and the away side faced the prospect of finishing the derby with 10 men.

But, inexplicably, Friend decided to give the Belgian defender a talking to rather than brandishing a second yellow.

The Clarets rarely threatened in the second half. In fact Pickford was only called in to action to push Barton's set-piece from 30 yards to safety. And then he saved from Vokes, though the Welshman lacked conviction from the edge of the box after Huntington inadvertently rolled the ball in to the striker's path.

Gray also went close to adding to his tally from a well-worked corner routine, but the record-signing skewed his attempt wide after Boyd allowed David Jones's corner to run through for the £6m man.

North End broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute as Vokes lost possession on the halfway line. Keane ran at Duff, dropped a shoulder to beat the defender, before firing low through his brother's legs and beneath Heaton.

Garner should've extended the advantage soon after but the striker failed to convert Vermijl's pull back from Paul Gallagher's cutting pass.

However, after Johnson curled an attempt around the upright, the midfielder made amends to double the lead.

Garner beat the offside trap, beat Duff at the by-line with ease, and squared for Johnson who drilled past a body of players to make it 2-0.