Burnley 1, Sheffield United 1 FT

But it could have been so much better, as they were prevented from leapfrogging the Blades into eighth, by a late leveller from the visitors.

Stand-in skipper James Tarkowski - taking over the armband from Ben Mee - put the Clarets ahead just before the break, only for United to level through John Egan 10 minutes from time, after a glaring miss from Dwight McNeil.

Mee saw his run of 70-successive Premier League starts ended by a thigh problem, with Jack Cork also out with an ankle knock.

Kevin Long came in at the back, with Jay Rodriguez returning to the side.

In the battle of the two keepers eyeing Jordan Pickford's England number one jersey, Nick Pope showed why he is top of the Golden Gloves with a big early stop, staying big to block from Oliver McBurnie, who had a clear sight of goal from David McGoldrick's flick.

But Pope had a worrying moment shortly after as he failed to collect a long throw and Sanger Berge drilled home - only for a foul throw to be given.

Burnley were a threat on the counter, and they squandered the best chance of the first half as Matej Vydra somehow dragged the ball wide, one on one with Dean Henderson, after Dwight McNeil, Jay Rodriguez and Erik Pieters all combined well.

Berge had a shot blocked from McBurnie's pull back after Oliver Norwood beat fellow Burnley-born Rodriguez in the challenge - St Theodore's against Barden.

The two were in close contact throughout, Rodriguez dropping off to try and limit Norwood's influence on the ball.

to cut out Norwood influencing the game, just dropping off at times to cut out.

The Blades continued to press, and Enda Stevens' shot was fumbled behind by Pope for a corner, before Berge headed Norwood's cross over after a sweeping crossfield pass from McGoldrick - on the break after McNeil narrowly failed to play in Vydra.

John Egan wasted a big chance, heading over a Norwood corner, while McBurnie got ahead of Long to flick a Jack Robinson centre too high - either side of Phil Bardsley testing Henderson from 25 yards, the on-loan Manchester United man's parry just evading Rodriguez.

However, just before the break, McNeil's free kick was flicked on by Rodriguez, and captain Tarkowski slotted in at the far post.

Nine minutes into the second half, Chris Wilder introduced Jack O'Connell for Robinson, like for like, with striker Billy Sharp on for Norwood.

Burnley's shape and organisation denied the Blades as many chances in front of goal, and they again threatened on the counter.

They had a good chance to double their advantage, but Ashley Westwood was unable to find Rodriguez from a promising break, after the striker had released Vydra into acres of space.

That would be Vydra's last involvement, with top-scorer Chris Wood entering the fray for the final quarter - his first appearance since the restart.

Rodriguez dragged an effort wide after Pieters helped the ball on , before Lys Mousset replaced McBurnie, and Jack Rodwell came on for Chris Basham for the visitors.

Burnley should have killed the game with 15 minutes to play when Westwood fed Rodriguez, and his fierce half-volley was too hot for Henderson, who parried it to the penalty spot, but McNeil somehow fired wide.

That miss looked like it could be costly, and so it proved as a short corner led to Egan hammering home into the roof of the net.

Neither side could find a winner in the remaining minutes, although Pieters' grass cutter forced a fine save from Henderson in stoppage time, and it remains game on for the European slots, with Burnley two points behind United in eighth, with five games to play.